From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 1 03:09:09 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 1 03:22:08 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: <200601312234.42408.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <200601312234.42408.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <42408.70.172.219.12.1138781349.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Tue, January 31, 2006 10:34 pm, dennis e. powell said: > and now, the more i think about it, i believe that the phrase should > be "cindy sheehan, who has not been publicly identified as a covert > agent of the cia" posted as frequently as possible. That's the way to go, after the fashion of Taranto who (I credit him -- could be wrong) gave currency to "-- who by the way served in Vietnam --" conjoined to every mention of John F. Kerry. -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 1 08:30:45 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 1 08:32:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: [eCS] Using your laptop Message-ID: <0IU000189G7AYZT2@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== Last time I was on a plane, they wouldn't let me use my eCS laptop. They told me I was in a windows seat! Tell that one to your geekier friends. Works with any non windows laptop. -- =============================================================== Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional. Webmaster http://www.billswoodshed.com David Eckard =============================================================== Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 1 08:53:40 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 1 08:54:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: <200601312234.42408.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IU0007FUH9GXBL2@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> On Tue, 31 Jan 2006 22:34:42 -0500, dennis e. powell wrote: >i think that it is important that whenever cindy gets mentioned, the >response be "SHHHHH -- she might be with the cia." And Sheehan struck again last night... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183392,00.html Anything to stay in the spotlight... Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 1 10:25:48 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 1 10:27:13 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: <0IU0007FUH9GXBL2@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602011525.k11FPmOV012028@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 08:53:40 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >And Sheehan struck again last night... >http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183392,00.html >Anything to stay in the spotlight... Sheehan, who has not been publicly identified as a covert agent of the cia From dep at drippingwithirony.com Wed Feb 1 10:50:09 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Wed Feb 1 10:51:13 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: <200602011525.k11FPmOV012028@oasis.novia.net> References: <200602011525.k11FPmOV012028@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <200602011050.09989.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Mike Riddle: | On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 08:53:40 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: | >And Sheehan struck again last night... | >http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183392,00.html | > | >Anything to stay in the spotlight... | | Sheehan, who has not been publicly identified as a covert agent of | the cia yet. we can't say for sure that it won't happen. dep -- Once abolish the God, and the government becomes the God. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Wed Feb 1 11:56:40 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Wed Feb 1 11:58:14 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: <200602011525.k11FPmOV012028@oasis.novia.net> References: <200602011525.k11FPmOV012028@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <200602010856.40502.spmaiorca@cox.net> she is a nutcase there is a reason I state she is happy her son is dead. On Wednesday 01 February 2006 7:25 am, Mike Riddle wrote: > On Wed, 01 Feb 2006 08:53:40 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: > >And Sheehan struck again last night... > >http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183392,00.html > > > >Anything to stay in the spotlight... > > Sheehan, who has not been publicly identified as a covert agent of the cia > > > > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 1 14:57:04 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 1 15:02:17 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Buy Danish! Message-ID: <46314.70.172.219.12.1138823824.squirrel@legomenon.org> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004428.htm - -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFD4RKPh3xeHo8d3akRAnw6AJ0QXhr0D2MNhudmUVldQ8iZoOl3wACcDkTM pOgTeBMnkykI/p8dv+fmaCQ= =huHx -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From drepouille at hotmail.com Wed Feb 1 17:42:59 2006 From: drepouille at hotmail.com (Dana Repouille) Date: Wed Feb 1 17:44:21 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: <200602011525.k11FPmOV012028@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: Cindy who? From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 1 14:26:04 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 1 17:49:21 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Now look who's trying to grab attention... Message-ID: <0IU000K88WNGL6H1@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> http://www.drudgereport.com/flash5kt.htm And isn't it known that 78% of all statistics are made up on the spot? Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 1 17:56:18 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 1 18:03:23 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <200602012256.k11MuJKS017227@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:42:59 -0600, Dana Repouille wrote: >Cindy who? Cindy Sheehan, who has not yet been publicly identified as an undercover CIA operative. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 21477 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060201/42198082/attachment-0001.jpg From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 1 18:43:47 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 1 18:44:21 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Now look who's trying to grab attention... In-Reply-To: <0IU000K88WNGL6H1@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IU000K88WNGL6H1@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <47673.70.172.219.12.1138837427.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Wed, February 1, 2006 2:26 pm, Jerry Prather said: > http://www.drudgereport.com/flash5kt.htm See it on the big screen!!!: http://media.michellemalkin.com/videos/53percent.wmv -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From spmaiorca at cox.net Wed Feb 1 18:43:40 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Wed Feb 1 18:45:20 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy Message-ID: <20060201234159.EQVB17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> exactly. > > From: "Dana Repouille" > Date: 2006/02/01 Wed PM 05:42:59 EST > To: "'Mike Riddle'" , > "'Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life.'" > Subject: RE: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy > > Cindy who? > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From drepouille at hotmail.com Wed Feb 1 21:36:36 2006 From: drepouille at hotmail.com (Dana Repouille) Date: Wed Feb 1 21:37:23 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: <200602012256.k11MuJKS017227@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: Yeah, but my point was, "Who cares?" Dana -----Original Message----- From: Mike Riddle [mailto:mriddle@oasis.novia.net] Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 4:56 PM To: Dana Repouille; Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, and life. Subject: RE: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy On Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:42:59 -0600, Dana Repouille wrote: >Cindy who? Cindy Sheehan, who has not yet been publicly identified as an undercover CIA operative. From sweeks1951 at netzero.net Wed Feb 1 22:54:02 2006 From: sweeks1951 at netzero.net (Steve Weeks) Date: Wed Feb 1 22:55:24 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Dana, Cindy Sheehan ( who has not yet been publicly identified as an undercover CIA operative) probably cares, but yeah, I get your point.. . -----Original Message----- From: os2-right-stuff-l-bounces@jtan.com [mailto:os2-right-stuff-l-bounces@jtan.com]On Behalf Of Dana Repouille Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 6:37 PM To: 'Right-minded discussion of computing, politics,and life.' Subject: RE: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy Yeah, but my point was, "Who cares?" Dana -----Original Message----- From: Mike Riddle [mailto:mriddle@oasis.novia.net] Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 4:56 PM To: Dana Repouille; Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, and life. Subject: RE: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy On Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:42:59 -0600, Dana Repouille wrote: >Cindy who? Cindy Sheehan, who has not yet been publicly identified as an undercover CIA operative. _______________________________________________ os2-right-stuff-l mailing list os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l From spmaiorca at cox.net Thu Feb 2 01:03:56 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Thu Feb 2 01:05:25 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy Message-ID: <20060202060306.XEZJ6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> This was why I wrote exactly I figured you were saying who should realy care? > > From: "Dana Repouille" > Date: 2006/02/01 Wed PM 09:36:36 EST > To: "'Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life.'" <> > Subject: RE: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy > > Yeah, but my point was, "Who cares?" > > Dana > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Riddle [mailto:mriddle@oasis.novia.net] > Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 4:56 PM > To: Dana Repouille; Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, and > life. > Subject: RE: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy > > On Wed, 1 Feb 2006 16:42:59 -0600, Dana Repouille wrote: > > >Cindy who? > > Cindy Sheehan, who has not yet been publicly identified as an > undercover CIA operative. > > > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From zoidberg at legomenon.org Thu Feb 2 02:35:28 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 2 02:36:28 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Start anywhere... Message-ID: Take your pick of the lead articles about Denmark and Iran, and then scroll down for more goodies!! This is a great site, getting better and better methinks. http://www.americanthinker.com/index.php -- Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Thu Feb 2 07:54:21 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 2 07:55:32 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] fun with cindy In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <200602021254.k12CsMLb006076@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 1 Feb 2006 20:36:36 -0600, Dana Repouille wrote: >Yeah, but my point was, "Who cares?" Oh, I DO! I just love the position she places the Democrats in! From operagost at operagost.com Thu Feb 2 14:45:13 2006 From: operagost at operagost.com (operagost@operagost.com) Date: Thu Feb 2 14:49:38 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hamas = Nazi? Message-ID: <06020214451365_2020A95D@operagost.com> Does Palestine* 2006 = Germany 1933? * a fictional construct accorded with existence merely for convenience of this discussion. From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Thu Feb 2 17:50:21 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 2 17:51:41 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Garrison Keillor: "scathing"? Message-ID: <43E28CAD.8010503@bernstein.providence.ri.us> A tad late getting to this... -=snip=- Bernard-Henri Levy Offers Riposte to Garrison Keillor Lunch at the Four Seasons BY PRANAY GUPTE - Special to the Sun January 31, 2006 URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/26720 Bernard-Henri Levy says that his new book, "American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville," is not only a celebration of the country that his fellow Frenchman famously wrote about in the early 19th century. It is also, however subtly, a missive to his native France, and the world at large, about the rigorous efforts needed to sustain democracy and liberty - and about the need to answer anti-Americanism, he said yesterday. "You answer such anti-Americanism by offering proof of America's reality - that it's a healthy democracy, that it isn't neo-imperial, that its economy is in good shape, and that America's power truly lies not only in its currency or military, but the enduring optimism of its people. This self-confidence is America's real wealth. America's power also flows from the confidence of the world in its power - why else does everybody want American dollars, or send their children and company managers to study in America? "Liberty - the great American spirit of freedom and enterprise - will not disappear," he said. "I loved this country before I wrote this book - I love it even more now," Mr. Levy said. "Maybe an American couldn't write this book - it takes a foreigner. Yes, to be a foreigner does mean that something of the country's spirit escapes you. But you approach America with a fresh, candid eye that sometimes a native prefers not to possess. I am a friend of America, and like all friends I speak frankly and with an open heart. I came without a screen in front of my eyes, without prejudices, without an agenda." That remark seemed to be a riposte to Garrison Keillor's scathing front page review Sunday in the New York Times Book Review. "In my all my travels across America, I didn't meet a single Francophobe," Mr. Levy said. "But the New York Times article gave me venom on a dish." "Was the reviewer Francophobic? Was he looking down at me because I was French?" he said. "Maybe I will respond more fully later. But overall, I thought the review was well-written. And at least now I know that this book has the ability to provoke this sort of Francophobia and American populism - that's great. If somebody says, 'He's a Frenchman - what does he know?' that to me is a symptom of Francophobia." "America is often demonized abroad," Mr. Levy said. "The best way to respond to such demonization is to show that America is a great nation that makes some mistakes - but it's a great country nevertheless. What's surprised me is that this country is in much less of a crisis that what's being said abroad. Democracy here is more sane than is supposed elsewhere." "Anti-Americanism is a plague," he said. "Say what you will about America - but it still stands for fighting for truth and justice." But there are growing threats to America's freedom - and, indeed, to free societies everywhere, Mr. Levy said. "One threat is green fascism - Islamic fascism," he said. "Radical Islam is, to me, the real devil. And the victims of this Islamic fascism are often Muslim themselves. The battle is this: how to reinforce moderate Muslims against the radicals. And the battlefield is there. Look around you." He cited last week's elections in Gaza and the West Bank, in which the terrorist organization Hamas won a stunning majority in the Palestinian parliament. "The program of destroying Israel and the Jews comes from Islamic fascists," Mr. Levy said. "But this is the first time that such a program has been endorsed and blessed by a democratically elected government. We have to resist this." The Algerian-born Mr. Levy's regard for America - and his career as a successful writer - began 35 years ago when he answered Andre Malraux's call to fight for freedom and democracy in Bangladesh, and flew to witness its bloody war of independence from Pakistan. "It was a terrible experience of human damnation," Mr. Levy said. "Imprinted on my mind were unforgettable images of butchery and horror. Bangladesh drove home to me the importance of free societies - and how the American experience of liberation from tyranny resonated around the world." Bangladesh generated not only that realization in Mr. Levy but also outrage over human rights abuses in different parts of the world. It spawned his first book, a jeremiad against such abuses and a philosophical inquiry into the causes of calamity. Over the next three decades, Mr. Levy traveled widely around the globe in pursuit of that inquiry. "I became - and still am - a militant for truth, justice, and human rights," he said. "I communicate that message in my own special way - through a melange of reportage, philosophy, and speculation." He went to Rwanda and Sudan to see for himself the impact of genocide on already fragile societies. He went to several other sub-Saharan countries to follow what he called the "forgotten wars." He went to Algeria to assess the influence of radical Islam. He went to Pakistan to investigate the murder by Muslim radicals of Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter. He was with President Karzai of Afghanistan when an aide broke the news of Pearl's death. He went to the Middle East to study what he called "the unbearable loneliness of Israel." Mr. Levy's passion for Israel and Judaism flows from the fact that he is a Jew. His father, Andre - a timber entrepreneur - and mother, Gina, were wealthy; both had been born in Algeria. Their son wasn't particularly observant, and his education had been entirely secular, much of it at a prestigious school that Jean-Paul Sartre had also attended. (Mr. Levy later wrote a biography of Sartre, the existential writer and Nobel laureate.) "I returned to Judaism as an adult - not for religious reasons but because I needed the philosophical ground," Mr. Levy said. "I was looking for the right tools - and I found them in the Bible and Talmud." Mr. Levy said he "found" the heart of America during his early travels. And he found his own heart when he met and married an acclaimed actress in France, Arielle Dombasle. She came from a blue-blooded family. Her grandfather had negotiated a major trade treaty between France and America. Ms. Dombasle was born in Connecticut and is an American citizen. "You see? I have a very close connection to America," Mr. Levy said. -=snip=- -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Thu Feb 2 18:35:06 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Thu Feb 2 18:37:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Garrison Keillor: "scathing"? In-Reply-To: <43E28CAD.8010503@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IU300GHE2UII9H0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Thu, 02 Feb 2006 17:50:21 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >Bernard-Henri Levy Offers Riposte to Garrison Keillor >Lunch at the Four Seasons I'm curious as to what Garrison Keillor had to say... (since I'm not one who is a regular reader of the NY Times or pays much attention to whatever goes on in NY). Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Thu Feb 2 18:42:53 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 2 18:43:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Today's Must-read Message-ID: <43E298FD.3010108@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Thanks to Michelle Malkin's blog: http://commentarymagazine.com/production/files/schoenfeld0306advance.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From zoidberg at legomenon.org Thu Feb 2 19:11:32 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 2 19:11:41 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Garrison Keillor: "scathing"? In-Reply-To: <0IU300GHE2UII9H0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IU300GHE2UII9H0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: On Thu, 2 Feb 2006, Jerry Prather wrote: > I'm curious as to what Garrison Keillor had to say... Me too! > (since I'm not one who is a regular reader of the NY Times or pays much > attention to whatever goes on in NY). Please post what you find out here! ;-) -- Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Thu Feb 2 19:45:04 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 2 19:45:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Re: Top 11 Alternative Names for Bareback Mountain Message-ID: <20060203004507.GDUJ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== 11. "Queer Eye for the Steer Guy" 10. "Not-That-There's-Anything-Wrong-With-That Mountain" 9. "How The West Was Hung" 8. "Little Bathhouse on the Prairie" 7. "For a Few Dollars More We Can Make It a Threesome" 6. "Go West, Young Man...Now South..A Little More To The South... Oh God, Yes! Right There!" 5. "Clint Eastwood's Nightmare" 4. "The Good, The Bad and The Fabulous!" 3. "Broke My Back Mounting Him" 2. "Oklahomo" 1. "Fun With Dick In James" ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Thu Feb 2 19:43:59 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 2 19:45:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Garrison Keillor: "scathing"? In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <200602030044.k130i4Xk013461@oasis.novia.net> On Thu, 2 Feb 2006 19:11:32 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >> I'm curious as to what Garrison Keillor had to say... >Me too! >> (since I'm not one who is a regular reader of the NY Times or pays much >> attention to whatever goes on in NY). >Please post what you find out here! January 29, 2006 'American Vertigo: Traveling America in the Footsteps of Tocqueville,' by Bernard-Henri L?vy On the Road Avec M. L?vy Review by GARRISON KEILLOR Correction Appended Any American with a big urge to write a book explaining France to the French should read this book first, to get a sense of the hazards involved. Bernard-Henri L?vy is a French writer with a spatter-paint prose style and the grandiosity of a college sophomore; he rambled around this country at the behest of The Atlantic Monthly and now has worked up his notes into a sort of book. It is the classic Freaks, Fatties, Fanatics & Faux Culture Excursion beloved of European journalists for the past 50 years, with stops at Las Vegas to visit a lap-dancing club and a brothel; Beverly Hills; Dealey Plaza in Dallas; Bourbon Street in New Orleans; Graceland; a gun show in Fort Worth; a "partner-swapping club" in San Francisco with a drag queen with mammoth silicone breasts; the Iowa State Fair ("a festival of American kitsch"); Sun City ("gilded apartheid for the old");a stock car race; the Mall of America; Mount Rushmore; a couple of evangelical megachurches; the Mormons of Salt Lake; some Amish; the 2004 national political conventions; Alcatraz - you get the idea. (For some reason he missed the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the adult video awards, the grave site of Warren G. Harding and the World's Largest Ball of Twine.) You meet Sharon Stone and John Kerry and a woman who once weighed 488 pounds and an obese couple carrying rifles, but there's nobody here whom you recognize. In more than 300 pages, nobody tells a joke. Nobody does much work. Nobody sits and eats and enjoys their food. You've lived all your life in America, never attended a megachurch or a brothel, don't own guns, are non-Amish, and it dawns on you that this is a book about the French. There's no reason for it to exist in English, except as evidence that travel need not be broadening and one should be wary of books with Tocqueville in the title. In New Orleans, a young woman takes off her clothes on a balcony as young men throw Mardi Gras beads up at her. We learn that much of the city is below sea level. At the stock car race, L?vy senses that the spectators "both dread and hope for an accident." We learn that Los Angeles has no center and is one of the most polluted cities in the country. "Headed for Virginia, and for Norfolk, which is, if I'm not mistaken, one of the oldest towns in a state that was one of the original 13 in the union," L?vy writes. Yes, indeed. He likes Savannah and gets delirious about Seattle, especially the Space Needle, which represents for him "everything that America has always made me dream of: poetry and modernity, precariousness and technical challenge, lightness of form meshed with a Babel syndrome, city lights, the haunting quality of darkness, tall trees of steel." O.K., fine. The Eiffel Tower is quite the deal, too. But every 10 pages or so, L?vy walks into a wall. About Old Glory, for example. Someone has told him about the rules for proper handling of the flag, and from these (the flag must not be allowed to touch the ground, must be disposed of by burning) he has invented an American flag fetish, a national obsession, a cult of flag worship. Somebody forgot to tell him that to those of us not currently enrolled in the Boy Scouts, these rules aren't a big part of everyday life. He blows a radiator writing about baseball - "this sport that contributes to establishing people's identities and that has truly become part of their civic and patriotic religion, which is baseball" - and when, visiting Cooperstown ("this new Nazareth"), he finds out that Commissioner Bud Selig once laid a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington, where Abner Doubleday is also buried, L?vy goes out of his mind. An event important only to Selig and his immediate family becomes, to L?vy, an official proclamation "before the eyes of America and the world" of Abner as "the pope of the national religion . . . that day not just the town but the entire United States joined in a celebration that had the twofold merit of associating the national pastime with the traditional rural values that Fenimore Cooper's town embodies and also with the patriotic grandeur that the name Doubleday bears." Uh, actually not. Negatory on "pope" and "national" and "entire" and "most" and "embodies" and "Doubleday." He worships Woody Allen and Charlie Rose in terms that would make Donald Trump cringe with embarrassment. He admires Warren Beatty, though he sees Beatty at a public event "among these rich and beautiful who, as always in America . . . form a masquerade of the living dead, each one more facelifted and mummified than the next, fierce, a little mutant-looking, inhuman, ultimately disappointing." L?vy is quite comfortable with phrases like "as always in America." Bombast comes naturally to him. Rain falls on the crowd gathered for the dedication of the Clinton library in Little Rock, and to L?vy, it signifies the demise of the Democratic Party. As always with French writers, L?vy is short on the facts, long on conclusions. He has a brief encounter with a young man outside of Montgomery, Ala. ("I listen to him tell me, as if he were justifying himself, about his attachment to this region"), and suddenly sees that the young man has "all the reflexes of Southern culture" and the "studied nonchalance . . . so characteristic of the region." With his X-ray vision, L?vy is able to reach tall conclusions with a single bound. And good Lord, the childlike love of paradox - America is magnificent but mad, greedy and modest, drunk with materialism and religiosity, puritan and outrageous, facing toward the future and yet obsessed with its memories. Americans' party loyalty is "very strong and very pliable, extremely tenacious and in the end somewhat empty." Existential and yet devoid of all content and direction. The partner-swapping club is both "libertine" and "conventional," "depraved" and "proper." And so the reader is fascinated and exhausted by L?vy's tedious and original thinking: "A strong bond holds America together, but a minimal one. An attachment of great force, but not fiercely resolute. A place of high - extremely high - symbolic tension, but a neutral one, a nearly empty one." And what's with the flurries of rhetorical questions? Is this how the French talk or is it something they save for books about America? "What is a Republican? What distinguishes a Republican in the America of today from a Democrat?" L?vy writes, like a student padding out a term paper. "What does this experience tell us?" he writes about the Mall of America. "What do we learn about American civilization from this mausoleum of merchandise, this funeral accumulation of false goods and nondesires in this end-of-the-world setting? What is the effect on the Americans of today of this confined space, this aquarium, where only a semblance of life seems to subsist?" And what is one to make of the series of questions - 20 in a row - about Hillary Clinton, in which L?vy implies she is seeking the White House to erase the shame of the Lewinsky affair? Was L?vy aware of the game 20 Questions, commonly played on long car trips in America? Are we to read this passage as a metaphor of American restlessness? Does he understand how irritating this is? Does he? Do you? May I stop now? America is changing, he concludes, but America will endure. "I still don't think there's reason to despair of this country. No matter how many derangements, dysfunctions, driftings there may be . . . no matter how fragmented the political and social space may be; despite this nihilist hypertrophy of petty antiquarian memory; despite this hyperobesity - increasingly less metaphorical - of the great social bodies that form the invisible edifice of the country; despite the utter misery of the ghettos . . . I can't manage to convince myself of the collapse, heralded in Europe, of the American model." Thanks, pal. I don't imagine France collapsing anytime soon either. Thanks for coming. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. For your next book, tell us about those riots in France, the cars burning in the suburbs of Paris. What was that all about? Were fat people involved? Garrison Keillor is the host and writer of "A Prairie Home Companion" and the author of 16 books. He is the editor, most recently, of an anthology titled "Good Poems for Hard Times." Correction: Jan 29, 2006, Sunday: A note on Page 1 of the Book Review today, with the review of "American Vertigo" by Bernard-Henri L?vy, misstates the translator's name. She is Charlotte Mandell, not Mendel. From prather.js at verizon.net Thu Feb 2 20:07:26 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Thu Feb 2 20:07:43 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Today's Must-read In-Reply-To: <43E298FD.3010108@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IU3006V274FI5B0@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Thu, 02 Feb 2006 18:42:53 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >Thanks to Michelle Malkin's blog: > >http://commentarymagazine.com/production/files/schoenfeld0306advance.html Heavy stuff, and right on the mark! Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From dep at drippingwithirony.com Thu Feb 2 21:29:57 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Thu Feb 2 21:30:44 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] somebody on this list . . . Message-ID: <200602022129.57224.dep@drippingwithirony.com> . . . seems to have sent me an email attachment that scanned my hard drive and turned every instance of "b.s." to "earnings" and every instance of "shrieking harpy" to "wife." i don't know what to do about it. dep -- To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it. -- G. K. Chesterton From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Thu Feb 2 22:36:56 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Thu Feb 2 22:37:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hamas = Nazi? In-Reply-To: <06020214451365_2020A95D@operagost.com> References: <06020214451365_2020A95D@operagost.com> Message-ID: <46d72e000602021936g2f49f0e8s7ca1ab3776039f66@mail.gmail.com> On 2/2/06, operagost@operagost.com wrote: > Does Palestine* 2006 = Germany 1933? > > * a fictional construct accorded with existence merely for convenience of this discussion. As Michael Savage would say, "Hitlers in a headscarf." Later, Daniel From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Fri Feb 3 07:47:19 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 3 07:47:52 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] somebody on this list . . . In-Reply-To: <200602022129.57224.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602031247.k13ClKrN021451@oasis.novia.net> On Thu, 2 Feb 2006 21:29:57 -0500, dennis e. powell wrote: >. . . seems to have sent me an email attachment that scanned my hard >drive and turned every instance of "b.s." to "earnings" and every >instance of "shrieking harpy" to "wife." >i don't know what to do about it. File a bar complaint? From prather.js at verizon.net Fri Feb 3 08:07:05 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Fri Feb 3 08:07:53 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] somebody on this list . . . In-Reply-To: <200602022129.57224.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IU4008AB4FT7RU0@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Thu, 02 Feb 2006 21:29:57 -0500, dennis e. powell wrote: >i don't know what to do about it. Global search and replace???? Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us Fri Feb 3 13:33:52 2006 From: mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 3 13:35:59 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Kickback Mountain Message-ID: <20060203183401.ICYW613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 69374 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060203/0e2d21bb/attachment-0001.jpg From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Fri Feb 3 16:02:32 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 3 16:04:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: FW: "Al Qaeda Caller ID" Message-ID: <20060203210242.KNLC613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== http://current.cf.huffingtonpost.com/ http://current.cf.huffingtonpost.com/ ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Fri Feb 3 17:06:44 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 3 17:35:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: FW: "Al Qaeda Caller ID" In-Reply-To: <20060203210242.KNLC613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> References: <20060203210242.KNLC613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <43E3D3F4.2050302@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Mike Riddle wrote: > http://current.cf.huffingtonpost.com/ Really, really funny, but I wonder how they are getting that up on her domain? Here's how! host www.huffingtonpost.com www.huffingtonpost.com is an alias for www.huffingtonpost.com.edgesuite.net. www.huffingtonpost.com.edgesuite.net is an alias for a495.g.akamai.net. a495.g.akamai.net has address 84.53.144.15 a495.g.akamai.net has address 84.53.144.16 Sweet. The old bat doesn't even own huffingtonpost.com. -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Fri Feb 3 18:20:52 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Fri Feb 3 18:22:03 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Stella Awards Message-ID: <0IU4008R9WUSSJK1@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== > > Some reading to make you realize that just when you > thought "you've seen it all and heard it all", there's > always people out there to prove you wrong. I don't know > if these are all true but if they are, help us all! > > Maricar Dupaya > City of Berkeley, Human Resources Dept. > Training and Organization Development > 510-981-6824, mdupaya@ci.berkeley.ca.us > > "No one can ruin your day without your permission." > > > 2005 Stella Awards! > > Time once again to review the winners of the Annual > "Stella Awards." The Stella Awards are named after 81 > year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself > and successfully sued McDonald's (in NM). That case > inspired the Stella Awards for the most frivolous, > ridiculous, successful lawsuits in the United States. > > Here are this year's winners: > > 5th Place (tie): > > Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded $80,000. > by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping > over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. > The owners of the store were understandably surprised at > the verdict, considering the misbehaving little toddler > was Ms. Robertson's son. > > 5th Place (tie): > 19-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and > medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with > a Honda Accord. Mr. Truman apparently didn't notice there > was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to > steal his neighbor's hubcaps. > > 5th Place (tie): > > Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a > house he had just finished robbing by way of the garage. > He was not able to get the garage door to go up since > the automatic door opener was malfunctioning. He couldn't > re-enter the house because the door connecting the house > and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was > on vacation, and Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the > garage for eight days. He subsisted on a case of Pepsi he > found, and a large bag of dry dog food. He sued the > homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him > undue mental anguish. The jury agreed, to the tune of > $500,000. In my opinion this is so outrageous that it > should have been 2nd Place! > > 4th Place: > > Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, was awarded > $14,500. and medical expenses after being bitten on the > buttocks by his next door neighbor's beagle. The beagle > was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. The award was > less than sought because the jury felt the dog might have > been just a little provoked at the time by Mr. Williams > who had climbed over the fence into the yard and was > shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun. > > 3rd Place: > > A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson > of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $113,500. after she slipped > on a soft drink and broke her coccyx (tailbone). The > beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson had thrown > it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an > argument. > > 2nd Place: > > Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware, successfully sued the > owner of a night club in a neighboring city when she fell > from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her > two front teeth. This occurred while Ms. Walton was > trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to > avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded > $12,000 and dental expenses. > > 1st Place: > > This year's runaway winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski of > Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Mrs. Grazinski purchased a brand > new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, > (from an OU football game), having driven onto the > freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly > left the driver's seat to go into the back & make herself > a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the RV left the freeway, > crashed and overturned. Mrs.Grazinski sued Winnebago for > not advising her in the owner's manual that she couldn't > actually do this. The jury awarded her $1,750,000. plus a > new motor home. The company actually changed their > manuals on the basis of this suit, just in case there > were any other complete morons around. > ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From prather.js at verizon.net Fri Feb 3 19:05:53 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Fri Feb 3 19:07:04 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: SECRET SERVICE Message-ID: <0IU400E87YXUY2I4@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> I don't know where Bill got this, nor do I know who Dave Kulow is, but these statements come across as how I would presume the truth to be... ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== > Subject: SECRET SERVICE > Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 11:23:43 -0700 > > SECRET SERVICE *PRESIDENTIAL OBSERVATIONS BY THE > SECRET SERVICE > >Observations by Dave Kulow > > > > > > > > The elder Bush and current president Bush make it a point > to thank and take care of the aircrews that fly them > around. When the president flies, there are several > planes that also go -- one carries the armored limo, > another the security detail, plus usually a press > aircraft. Both Bush's made it a point to stay home on > holidays, so the Air Force and security people could have > a day with their families. > > WHAT WAS: > > > Hillary Clinton was arrogant and orally abusive to her > security detail. She forbade her daughter, Chelsea, from > exchanging pleasantries with them Sometimes Chelsea, > miffed at her mother's obvious conceit and mean > spiritedness ignored her demands and exchanged > pleasantries regardless, but never in her mother's > presence. > > > > Chelsea really was a nice, kindhearted, and lovely young > lady. The consensus opinion was that Chelsea loved her > Mom but did not like her. Hillary Clinton was > continuously rude and abrasive to those who were charged > to protect her life. > > > Her security detail dutifully did their job, as > professionals should, but they all loathed her and wanted > to be on a different detail. Hillary Clinton was despised > by the Secret Service as a whole. > > > Former President Bill Clinton was much more amiable than > his wife Often the Secret Service would cringe at the > verbal attacks Hillary would use against her husband. > > > > They were embarrassed for his sake by the manner and > frequency in which she verbally insulted him, sometimes > in the presence of the Secret Service, and sometimes > behind closed doors. Even behind closed doors Hillary > Clinton would scream and holler so loudly, that everyone > could hear what she was saying. > > > Many felt sorry for President Clinton and most wondered > why he tolerated it instead of just divorcing his "attack > dog" wife. It was clear that the Clinton's neither liked > nor respected each other and this was true long before > the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Theirs was genuinely a > "marriage of convenience." > > > Chelsea was much closer to her father than she was to her > mother, even after the Lewinsky scandal, which hurt her > gravely. > > > > Bill Clinton did in fact have charisma, and occasionally > would smile at or shake hands with his security detail. > Still, he always displayed an obvious air of superiority, > believed him to be disingenuous, false, and that he did > nothing without a motive that in some way would enhance > his image and political career. He was polite, but not > kind. > > > They did not particularly like him and nobody trusted > him. > > WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN: > > > Al Gore was the male version of Hillary Clinton. They > were friendlier toward each other than either of them was > towards former President Clinton. They were not intimate, > so please don't read that in. They were very close in a > political way. > > > > Tipper Gore was generally nice and pleasant. She > initially liked Hillary but soon after the election she > had her "pegged" and no longer liked her or associated > with her except for events that were politically > obligatory. > > > > Al Gore was far more left wing than Bill Clinton was. Al > Gore resented Bill Clinton and thought he was too > "centrist." He despised all Republicans. His hatred was > bitter and this was long before he announced for the > Presidency. This hatred was something that he and Hillary > had in common. > > > > They often said as much, even in the presence of their > security detail. Neither of them trusted Bill Clinton > and, the Secret Service opined, neither of them even > liked Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton did have some good > qualities, whereas Al Gore and Hillary had none, in the > view of their security details. Al Gore, like Hillary, > was very rude and arrogant toward his security detail. He > was extremely unappreciative. He would not hesitate to > scold them in the presence of their peers for minor > details over which they had no control. Al Gore also > looked down on them, as they finally observed and learned > with certainty on one occasion. Al got angry at his > offspring and pointed at his detail and said, "Do you > want to grow up and be like them?" Word of this insult by > the former Vice-president quickly spread and he became as > disliked by the Secret Service as Hillary. > > > Most of them prayed Al Gore would not be elected > President, and they really did have private celebrations > in a few of their homes after President Bush won. This > was not necessarily to celebrate President Bush's > election, but to celebrate Al Gore's defeat. > > WHAT IS: > > > Everyone in the Secret Service wants to be on First Lady > Laura Bush's detail. Without exception, they concede that > she is perhaps the nicest and most kind person they have > ever had the privilege of serving. Where Hillary patently > refused to allow her picture to be taken with her > security detail, Laura Bush doesn't even have to be > asked, she offers. She doesn't just shake their hand and > say, "Thank you." > > > Very often, she will give members of her detail a > kindhearted hug to express her appreciation. There is > nothing false about her. This is her genuine nature. Her > security detail considers her a "breath of fresh air." > They joke that comparing Laura Bush with Hillary Clinton > is like comparing "Mother Teresa" with the "Wicked Witch > of the North. > > > "Likewise, the Secret Service considers President Bush to > be a gem of a man to work for. He always treats them with > genuine respect and he always trusts and listens to their > expert advice. They really like the Crawford, Texas > detail. Every time the president goes to Crawford, he has > a Bar-B-Q for his security detail and he helps serve > their meals. He sits with them, eats with them, and talks > with them. He knows each of them by their first name, and > calls them by their first name as a show of affection. He > always asks about their family, the names of which he > always remembers. They believe that he is deeply and > genuinely appreciative of their service. They could not > like, love, or respect anyone more than President Bush. > > > Most of them did not know they would feel this way, until > they had an opportunity to work for him and learn that > his manner was genuine and consistent. It has never > changed since he began his Presidency. He always treats > them with the utmost respect, kindness, and compassion. > > ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From dep at drippingwithirony.com Fri Feb 3 19:58:27 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Fri Feb 3 19:59:05 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: SECRET SERVICE In-Reply-To: <0IU400E87YXUY2I4@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IU400E87YXUY2I4@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602031958.27568.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Jerry Prather: | nor do I know who Dave Kulow is http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q=%22dave+kulow%22&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 -- I do not ask them to assume the worth of my creed or any creed; and I could wish they did not so often ask me to assume the worth of their worthless, poisonous plutocratic modern society. -- G. K. Chesterton From zoidberg at legomenon.org Fri Feb 3 20:58:40 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 3 20:59:06 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] And by the way... Message-ID: Where does our State Department get off issuing that mealymouthed statement about "tolerance?" What? We don't have the courage -- all of a sudden -- that the Europeans are now displaying. -- Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein From spmaiorca at cox.net Fri Feb 3 21:59:28 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Fri Feb 3 22:42:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] And by the way... Message-ID: <20060204025843.ZQAR17838.fed1rmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Next time some one talks about Tollerance and Islam please explain their stance to my dear Mariam who risked getting lynched on her way to school in Egypt because she is a Copt. Mulism did not show her much tollerance. > From: Bob Bernstein > Date: 2006/02/03 Fri PM 08:58:40 EST > To: os2 > Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] And by the way... > > Where does our State Department get off issuing that mealymouthed > statement about "tolerance?" What? We don't have the courage -- all of a > sudden -- that the Europeans are now displaying. > > -- > Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From spmaiorca at cox.net Sat Feb 4 01:39:40 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Sat Feb 4 01:41:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Kickback Mountain In-Reply-To: <20060203183401.ICYW613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> References: <20060203183401.ICYW613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <200602032239.40721.spmaiorca@cox.net> On Friday 03 February 2006 10:33 am, Mike Riddle wrote: Don't forget Harry "it's not a bribe" Ried. From prather.js at verizon.net Sat Feb 4 09:20:41 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sat Feb 4 09:21:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Is the Far Left getting tired of Hillary? Message-ID: <0IU6001E12IIQXA6@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> Interesting commentary at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1570444/posts but please spare us another run by either Kerry or Gore! Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 5 08:57:14 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Sun Feb 5 08:57:36 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] today's steyn -- right as usual Message-ID: <200602050857.14241.dep@drippingwithirony.com> 'Sensitivity' can have brutal consequences February 5, 2006 BY MARK STEYN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST I long ago lost count of the number of times I've switched on the TV and seen crazy guys jumping up and down in the street, torching the Stars and Stripes and yelling ''Death to the Great Satan!'' Or torching the Union Jack and yelling ''Death to the Original If Now Somewhat Arthritic And Semi-Retired Satan!'' But I never thought I'd switch on the TV and see the excitable young lads jumping up and down in Jakarta, Lahore, Aden, Hebron, etc., etc., torching the flag of Denmark. Denmark! Even if you were overcome with a sudden urge to burn the Danish flag, where do you get one in a hurry in Gaza? Well, OK, that's easy: the nearest European Union Humanitarian Aid and Intifada-Funding Branch Office. But where do you get one in an obscure town on the Punjabi plain on a Thursday afternoon? If I had a sudden yen to burn the Yemeni or Sudanese flag on my village green, I haven't a clue how I'd get hold of one in this part of New Hampshire. Say what you like about the Islamic world, but they show tremendous initiative and energy and inventiveness, at least when it comes to threatening death to the infidels every 48 hours for one perceived offense or another. If only it could be channeled into, say, a small software company, what an economy they'd have. Meanwhile, back in Copenhagen, the Danes are a little bewildered to find that this time it's plucky little Denmark who's caught the eye of the nutters. Last year, a newspaper called Jyllands-Posten published several cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed, whose physical representation in art is forbidden by Islam. The cartoons aren't particularly good and they were intended to be provocative. But they had a serious point. Before coming to that, we should note that in the Western world "artists" "provoke" with the same numbing regularity as young Muslim men light up other countries' flags. When Tony-winning author Terence McNally writes a Broadway play in which Jesus has gay sex with Judas, the New York Times and Co. rush to garland him with praise for how "brave" and "challenging" he is. The rule for "brave" "transgressive" "artists" is a simple one: If you're going to be provocative, it's best to do it with people who can't be provoked. Thus, NBC is celebrating Easter this year with a special edition of the gay sitcom "Will & Grace," in which a Christian conservative cooking-show host, played by the popular singing slattern Britney Spears, offers seasonal recipes -- "Cruci-fixin's." On the other hand, the same network, in its coverage of the global riots over the Danish cartoons, has declined to show any of the offending artwork out of "respect" for the Muslim faith. Which means out of respect for their ability to locate the executive vice president's home in the suburbs and firebomb his garage. Jyllands-Posten wasn't being offensive for the sake of it. They had a serious point -- or, at any rate, a more serious one than Britney Spears or Terence McNally. The cartoons accompanied a piece about the dangers of "self-censorship" -- i.e., a climate in which there's no explicit law forbidding you from addressing the more, er, lively aspects of Islam but nonetheless everyone feels it's better not to. That's the question the Danish newspaper was testing: the weakness of free societies in the face of intimidation by militant Islam. One day, years from now, as archaeologists sift through the ruins of an ancient civilization for clues to its downfall, they'll marvel at how easy it all was. You don't need to fly jets into skyscrapers and kill thousands of people. As a matter of fact, that's a bad strategy, because even the wimpiest state will feel obliged to respond. But if you frame the issue in terms of multicultural "sensitivity," the wimp state will bend over backward to give you everything you want -- including, eventually, the keys to those skyscrapers. Thus, Jack Straw, the British foreign secretary, hailed the "sensitivity" of Fleet Street in not reprinting the offending cartoons. No doubt he's similarly impressed by the "sensitivity" of Anne Owers, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, for prohibiting the flying of the English national flag in English prisons on the grounds that it shows the cross of St. George, which was used by the Crusaders and thus is offensive to Muslims. And no doubt he's impressed by the "sensitivity" of Burger King, which withdrew its ice cream cones from its British menus because Rashad Akhtar of High Wycombe complained that the creamy swirl shown on the lid looked like the word "Allah" in Arabic script. I don't know which sura in the Koran says don't forget, folks, it's not just physical representations of God or the Prophet but also chocolate ice cream squiggly representations of the name, but ixnay on both just to be "sensitive." And doubtless the British foreign secretary also appreciates the "sensitivity" of the owner of France-Soir, who fired his editor for republishing the Danish cartoons. And the "sensitivity" of the Dutch film director Albert Ter Heerdt, who canceled the sequel to his hit multicultural comedy ''Shouf Shouf Habibi!'' on the grounds that "I don't want a knife in my chest" -- which is what happened to the last Dutch film director to make a movie about Islam: Theo van Gogh, on whose ''right to dissent'' all those Hollywood blowhards are strangely silent. Perhaps they're just being "sensitive,'' too. And perhaps the British foreign secretary also admires the "sensitivity" of those Dutch public figures who once spoke out against the intimidatory aspects of Islam and have now opted for diplomatic silence and life under 24-hour armed guard. And maybe he even admires the "sensitivity" of the increasing numbers of Dutch people who dislike the pervasive fear and tension in certain parts of the Netherlands and so have emigrated to Canada and New Zealand. Very few societies are genuinely multicultural. Most are bicultural: On the one hand, there are folks who are black, white, gay, straight, pre-op transsexual, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, worshippers of global-warming doom-mongers, and they rub along as best they can. And on the other hand are folks who do not accept the give-and-take, the rough-and-tumble of a "diverse" "tolerant" society, and, when one gently raises the matter of their intolerance, they threaten to kill you, which makes the question somewhat moot. One day the British foreign secretary will wake up and discover that, in practice, there's very little difference between living under Exquisitely Refined Multicultural Sensitivity and Sharia. As a famously sensitive Dane once put it, "To be or not to be, that is the question." dep -- These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every creed except his own. -- G. K. Chesterton From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sun Feb 5 13:29:50 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 5 13:31:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: The Globe "for sports?"] Message-ID: <43E6441E.5050704@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Seems the Globe wrapped up several bundles of the paper to be dropped off at street corners for stores in printouts of their credit card customers, avec credit card numbers. -=snip=- Out in left field? Globe?s got your number(s) By Howie Carr Boston Herald Columnist Sunday, February 5, 2006 Despite the high risk of having your good name and credit besmirched, you may be one of the vanishing breed who enjoys having The Boston Globe home-delivered. Ask yourself these questions: Do you have a trust fund? Have you seen ?Brokeback Mountain? - more than once? Do you refuse to peel the Kerry-Edwards sticker off your car? Do you always say ?Happy holidays?? Did you go to a Democratic caucus yesterday to vote for Deval Patrick? Answering yes to any of the above questions indicates that you may well find the Globe almost as indispensable to daily life as Michael Moore?s Web site. But if your answers were no, no, no, no and no, it?s time you joined the fastest-growing demographic group in Massachusetts - ex-Globe subscribers. Just last Wednesday, 200 subscribers to the fake-but-accurate journal wised up and said, as one, ?Pound sand, Pinch.? Q. What do the carpetbaggers of Morrissey Boulevard call a day on which 200 readers cancel their subscriptions? A. A good day. Bad enough their daily drumbeat for gay ?marriage,? illegal aliens and higher taxes. Now the out-of-state drifters who mismanage the boring broadsheet have literally put the names of more than 200,000 loyal subscribers and their credit-card numbers out on the street. The irony is, the Globe?s parent company is that floundering dinosaur corporation known as The New York Times. The Beautiful People of 42nd Street are stamping their Birkenstocks and pouting because the Bush administration has engaged in ?domestic spying.? The GOP has been ?eavesdropping? on what Jayson Blair?s colleagues assure us are ?Americans? who just happen to be in contact with al-Qaeda operatives overseas. For this, the Old Pink Lady wants Bush impeached. But when the Times? blow-in straw bosses flat-out violate the privacy rights of more than 200,000 Americans, well, that?s just an unfortunate mistake. Just monitor your credit charges very carefully and await instructions from Massa Sulzberger, which will arrive via snail mail. In spite of everything, the Globe retains a dwindling core of Kool-Aid constituents, and perhaps you?re among them. Are you a vegan? Do you vote for every Prop 2 ? override because it?s an ?investment in the future? and it?s ?for the children?? Do you enjoy seeing stills on the metro page that were obviously taken from porn movies, with captions asserting that the actors are actually American soldiers raping Iraqi women? Are you backing Sen. Jarrett Barrios for Middlesex DA? Do you think Steve Lynch has ?grown? in office? Do you prefer reading fiction to nonfiction? I joined the stampede of ex-subscribers many years ago. I?m a white male heterosexual Irish Catholic who was born and raised in New England and went to a state college. If I had any more strikes against me, my name would be Steve Murphy. I hear people say, well, I only get it for the sports page. I got news for you: Will McDonough ain?t walking through that door, and when was the last time Peter Gammons wrote for the daily? If you need endless Red Sox worship, there are four or five radio and TV stations dedicated to 24/7 jock-sniffing. Go ahead, Globe, mail me another free-subscription offer. I?ll send back your post-paid envelope, empty. Another 39 cents off the bottom line of the PC Police. Every little bit helps. -=snip=- -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 5 12:42:29 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 5 14:26:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] today's steyn -- right as usual Message-ID: <20060205174146.QAZL17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> good editorial and I wish the folks screaming about how we need to be sensitive would understand there is no such talk on the other side. Next person who talks about sensitivty towards Muslims do me a favor and speak to a mideastern Christan. > > From: "dennis e. powell" > Date: 2006/02/05 Sun AM 08:57:14 EST > To: "OS/2 et alia" > Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] today's steyn -- right as usual > > > 'Sensitivity' can have brutal consequences > > February 5, 2006 > > BY MARK STEYN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST > > > > I long ago lost count of the number of times I've switched on the TV and > seen crazy guys jumping up and down in the street, torching the Stars > and Stripes and yelling ''Death to the Great Satan!'' Or torching the > Union Jack and yelling ''Death to the Original If Now Somewhat > Arthritic And Semi-Retired Satan!'' But I never thought I'd switch on > the TV and see the excitable young lads jumping up and down in Jakarta, > Lahore, Aden, Hebron, etc., etc., torching the flag of Denmark. > > Denmark! Even if you were overcome with a sudden urge to burn the Danish > flag, where do you get one in a hurry in Gaza? Well, OK, that's easy: > the nearest European Union Humanitarian Aid and Intifada-Funding Branch > Office. But where do you get one in an obscure town on the Punjabi > plain on a Thursday afternoon? If I had a sudden yen to burn the Yemeni > or Sudanese flag on my village green, I haven't a clue how I'd get hold > of one in this part of New Hampshire. Say what you like about the > Islamic world, but they show tremendous initiative and energy and > inventiveness, at least when it comes to threatening death to the > infidels every 48 hours for one perceived offense or another. If only > it could be channeled into, say, a small software company, what an > economy they'd have. > > Meanwhile, back in Copenhagen, the Danes are a little bewildered to find > that this time it's plucky little Denmark who's caught the eye of the > nutters. Last year, a newspaper called Jyllands-Posten published > several cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed, whose physical representation > in art is forbidden by Islam. The cartoons aren't particularly good and > they were intended to be provocative. But they had a serious point. > Before coming to that, we should note that in the Western world > "artists" "provoke" with the same numbing regularity as young Muslim > men light up other countries' flags. When Tony-winning author Terence > McNally writes a Broadway play in which Jesus has gay sex with Judas, > the New York Times and Co. rush to garland him with praise for how > "brave" and "challenging" he is. The rule for "brave" "transgressive" > "artists" is a simple one: If you're going to be provocative, it's best > to do it with people who can't be provoked. > > Thus, NBC is celebrating Easter this year with a special edition of the > gay sitcom "Will & Grace," in which a Christian conservative > cooking-show host, played by the popular singing slattern Britney > Spears, offers seasonal recipes -- "Cruci-fixin's." On the other hand, > the same network, in its coverage of the global riots over the Danish > cartoons, has declined to show any of the offending artwork out of > "respect" for the Muslim faith. > > Which means out of respect for their ability to locate the executive > vice president's home in the suburbs and firebomb his garage. > > Jyllands-Posten wasn't being offensive for the sake of it. They had a > serious point -- or, at any rate, a more serious one than Britney > Spears or Terence McNally. The cartoons accompanied a piece about the > dangers of "self-censorship" -- i.e., a climate in which there's no > explicit law forbidding you from addressing the more, er, lively > aspects of Islam but nonetheless everyone feels it's better not to. > > That's the question the Danish newspaper was testing: the weakness of > free societies in the face of intimidation by militant Islam. > > One day, years from now, as archaeologists sift through the ruins of an > ancient civilization for clues to its downfall, they'll marvel at how > easy it all was. You don't need to fly jets into skyscrapers and kill > thousands of people. As a matter of fact, that's a bad strategy, > because even the wimpiest state will feel obliged to respond. But if > you frame the issue in terms of multicultural "sensitivity," the wimp > state will bend over backward to give you everything you want -- > including, eventually, the keys to those skyscrapers. Thus, Jack Straw, > the British foreign secretary, hailed the "sensitivity" of Fleet Street > in not reprinting the offending cartoons. > > No doubt he's similarly impressed by the "sensitivity" of Anne Owers, > Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, for prohibiting the flying of > the English national flag in English prisons on the grounds that it > shows the cross of St. George, which was used by the Crusaders and thus > is offensive to Muslims. And no doubt he's impressed by the > "sensitivity" of Burger King, which withdrew its ice cream cones from > its British menus because Rashad Akhtar of High Wycombe complained that > the creamy swirl shown on the lid looked like the word "Allah" in > Arabic script. I don't know which sura in the Koran says don't forget, > folks, it's not just physical representations of God or the Prophet but > also chocolate ice cream squiggly representations of the name, but > ixnay on both just to be "sensitive." > > And doubtless the British foreign secretary also appreciates the > "sensitivity" of the owner of France-Soir, who fired his editor for > republishing the Danish cartoons. And the "sensitivity" of the Dutch > film director Albert Ter Heerdt, who canceled the sequel to his hit > multicultural comedy ''Shouf Shouf Habibi!'' on the grounds that "I > don't want a knife in my chest" -- which is what happened to the last > Dutch film director to make a movie about Islam: Theo van Gogh, on > whose ''right to dissent'' all those Hollywood blowhards are strangely > silent. Perhaps they're just being "sensitive,'' too. > > And perhaps the British foreign secretary also admires the "sensitivity" > of those Dutch public figures who once spoke out against the > intimidatory aspects of Islam and have now opted for diplomatic silence > and life under 24-hour armed guard. And maybe he even admires the > "sensitivity" of the increasing numbers of Dutch people who dislike the > pervasive fear and tension in certain parts of the Netherlands and so > have emigrated to Canada and New Zealand. > > Very few societies are genuinely multicultural. Most are bicultural: On > the one hand, there are folks who are black, white, gay, straight, > pre-op transsexual, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, worshippers of > global-warming doom-mongers, and they rub along as best they can. And > on the other hand are folks who do not accept the give-and-take, the > rough-and-tumble of a "diverse" "tolerant" society, and, when one > gently raises the matter of their intolerance, they threaten to kill > you, which makes the question somewhat moot. > > One day the British foreign secretary will wake up and discover that, in > practice, there's very little difference between living under > Exquisitely Refined Multicultural Sensitivity and Sharia. As a famously > sensitive Dane once put it, "To be or not to be, that is the question." > > dep > -- > These are the days when the Christian is expected to praise every > creed except his own. > -- G. K. Chesterton > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 5 14:46:28 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Sun Feb 5 14:47:43 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Politics Explained Message-ID: <200602051446.28939.dep@drippingwithirony.com> A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth. She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?" She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus, college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over." Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA." The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!" The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican Party. -- Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all. -- G. K. Chesterton From mike at mikeriddle.com Sun Feb 5 15:42:12 2006 From: mike at mikeriddle.com (Mike Riddle) Date: Sun Feb 5 15:47:44 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] LAT Editorial - Tapping into AT&T Message-ID: <20060205204513.IJQM8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-nsa5feb05,0,4247173.story?coll=la-home-oped From the Los Angeles Times EDITORIALS Tapping into AT&T February 5, 2006 THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION has spent much of the last few weeks trying to explain that to protect American democracy, it must sometimes spy on American citizens. Now the debate over its warrantless domestic spying program has reached out to touch one of the iconic names of American capitalism: Ma Bell. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group for civil liberties in cyberspace, sued AT&T last week, alleging that the company violated its duty to keep phone records and conversations private. The suit asserts that AT&T not only allowed the National Security Agency to intercept phone calls without a warrant as part of its program to monitor the calls of U.S. residents with suspected ties to terrorists overseas, but it also enabled government agents to sift through the company's vast database of calling records in search of suspicious activity. The lawsuit takes an indirect route to the foundation's ultimate goal, which is to force investigators to get a court's approval before spying on U.S. residents. At Senate hearings on the NSA program, which begin Monday, members of the Judiciary Committee may want to borrow from the foundation's strategy and see what they can learn not just from government officials but from telecommunications executives, who cannot hide behind executive privilege. Ma Bell is certainly an inviting target. Outside of the NSA, no one knows more about the domestic surveillance program than the phone companies, the largest of which is AT&T. And the Bush administration has been extremely tight-lipped about the program's details. As a result, it is impossible to judge whether the program has focused exclusively on people chatting with Al Qaeda, as President Bush likes to say, or a much larger group of Americans who just happen to make or receive international calls. AT&T, which isn't commenting on the suit, may have felt it had no choice but to comply with the NSA's requests. Federal law requires telephone companies to cooperate with law enforcement demands if they are supported by a court order or, in emergencies, certification from the U.S. attorney general that no court order is necessary. The surveillance program was almost certainly backed by just such a certification, and that could stop the lawsuit in its tracks. Ideally, the lawsuit will stop AT&T from cooperating in the NSA program, or at least prod it to put up more resistance. There is no need or excuse for warrantless surveillance in America, especially given the accelerated procedures Congress established for obtaining such warrants. Indeed, the court that Congress created with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is notoriously accommodating to such requests. In addition, the administration's assertion that it can conduct whatever spying operation it pleases during the unrelenting war on terrorism is an affront to Americans' privacy and due-process rights. More practically, the lawsuit may also reveal how the spying program works and what types of information it collects. But the administration views such details as sensitive national security secrets, and it is likely the government will try to have the lawsuit thrown out before any such disclosures are made. In the mid-1970s, the late Sen. Frank Church, an Idaho Democrat, led a Senate investigation into domestic spying and other abuses of power by the NSA and federal agencies. By interviewing executives from telecommunications companies, his investigators gained critical details about the government's snooping. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee could learn from the Church committee's boldness. ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From sjkleinsr at cox.net Sun Feb 5 17:11:49 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Sun Feb 5 17:12:44 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World Message-ID: <20060205221148.TGKQ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> If I had the power, the following message would go out to the world: Given recent events, the United States has decided on the following course of action. For Americans and those present in the United States who wish to peacefully march in demonstration of support for a cause, we support the right of peaceful assembly. As soon as your demonstration becomes a destructive event, you will be gunned down in the streets. This includes rioting, looting, stone and bottle throwing and the destruction of our flag, which is now considered sacred. For residents of other countries, the following applies. We support your right to peaceful assembly, but will not interfere with your governments handling of the situation. As soon as you attempt to destroy the American flag, now considered sacred, you will be gunned down in the street. Attacks on American Counsulates, Embassies or interests will cause you to be gunned down in the streets. A team will be dispatched to assist with removal of debris following our necessary action. We expect our actions to be considered with the same sensitivity now extended to persons who create havoc and destruction in support of their beliefs. Thank you!! Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Sun Feb 5 17:24:07 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Sun Feb 5 17:26:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] More political corruption Message-ID: <46d72e000602051424l2816cd3enc03cc5b71aca6bda@mail.gmail.com> Later, Daniel From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Sun Feb 5 17:36:00 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Sun Feb 5 17:36:46 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World In-Reply-To: <20060205221148.TGKQ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@172.18.53.8> References: <20060205221148.TGKQ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@172.18.53.8> Message-ID: <46d72e000602051436w67c2884fxe1e8fe71133217ab@mail.gmail.com> On 2/5/06, Stan Klein, Sr. wrote: > If I had the power, the following message would go out to the world: > > Given recent events, the United States has decided on the following course of action. For Americans and those present in the United States who wish to peacefully march in demonstration of support for a cause, we support the right of peaceful assembly. As soon as your demonstration becomes a destructive event, you will be gunned down in the streets. This includes rioting, looting, stone and bottle throwing and the destruction of our flag, which is now considered sacred. > > For residents of other countries, the following applies. We support your right to peaceful assembly, but will not interfere with your governments handling of the situation. As soon as you attempt to destroy the American flag, now considered sacred, you will be gunned down in the street. Attacks on American Counsulates, Embassies or interests will cause you to be gunned down in the streets. A team will be dispatched to assist with removal of debris following our necessary action. > > We expect our actions to be considered with the same sensitivity now extended to persons who create havoc and destruction in support of their beliefs. > > Thank you!! > > Stan Klein, Sr. > Homeless, live in a truck > Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black > I must say, I like it!! Daniel From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sun Feb 5 18:22:59 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 5 18:24:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World In-Reply-To: <20060205221148.TGKQ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> References: <20060205221148.TGKQ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Message-ID: On Sun, 5 Feb 2006, Stan Klein, Sr. wrote: > If I had the power, the following message would go out to the world: Wonderful! I shall mail a copy to Linc Chafee first thing tomorrow! I suggest one amendment: To whom it may concern. Effective immediately for all U.S. sovereign territories: all environmental constrictions on the exploration, drilling, pumping, shipment and refining of petroleum products are herewith suspended until further notice. Have a nice day. -- Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Sun Feb 5 18:26:56 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Sun Feb 5 18:28:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World In-Reply-To: References: <20060205221148.TGKQ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@172.18.53.8> Message-ID: <46d72e000602051526i7d337e77y9b563b372e71c133@mail.gmail.com> On 2/5/06, Bob Bernstein wrote: > On Sun, 5 Feb 2006, Stan Klein, Sr. wrote: > > > If I had the power, the following message would go out to the world: > > Wonderful! I shall mail a copy to Linc Chafee first thing tomorrow! > > I suggest one amendment: > > To whom it may concern. Effective immediately for all U.S. sovereign > territories: all environmental constrictions on the exploration, drilling, > pumping, shipment and refining of petroleum products are herewith > suspended until further notice. Have a nice day. > Love the amendment. Daniel From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sun Feb 5 18:49:55 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 5 18:52:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World In-Reply-To: <46d72e000602051526i7d337e77y9b563b372e71c133@mail.gmail.com> References: <20060205221148.TGKQ5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@172.18.53.8> <46d72e000602051526i7d337e77y9b563b372e71c133@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: On Sun, 5 Feb 2006, Daniel Kruse wrote: > Love the amendment. Thank you sir. I felt the 'Have a nice day.' sorta struck just the right note. -- Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein From sjkleinsr at cox.net Sun Feb 5 19:53:11 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Sun Feb 5 21:03:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World Message-ID: <20060206005313.SVME8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Makes good sense to me. Let er rip!!! > > From: Bob Bernstein > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World > > On Sun, 5 Feb 2006, Stan Klein, Sr. wrote: > > > If I had the power, the following message would go out to the world: > > Wonderful! I shall mail a copy to Linc Chafee first thing tomorrow! > > I suggest one amendment: > > To whom it may concern. Effective immediately for all U.S. sovereign > territories: all environmental constrictions on the exploration, drilling, > pumping, shipment and refining of petroleum products are herewith > suspended until further notice. Have a nice day. > > > -- > Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein > Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sun Feb 5 21:06:43 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 5 21:07:47 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read Message-ID: <43E6AF33.5040107@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Savage just mentioned this article, and here it is! -=snip=- Feb 3, 2006 SPEAKING FREELY Iran and the jaws of a trap By Paul Levian Judging from the rather frantic behind-the-scenes efforts of Russia and China in Iran, they seem to appreciate that the Iranian leadership is in for a big and probably deadly surprise. The Bush administration has not only handled its Iran dossier much more skillfully than Iraq, but also managed to set up Iran for a war it can neither win nor fight to a draw. If the Iranian leaders think they can deter an attack because the US is bogged down in Iraq they are already between the jaws of a well-set trap. Though a Western war against Iran will be a big geopolitical defeat for Russia and China, they cannot but resign themselves to this outcome if they are unable to convince the Iranians to accept the Russian proposal - ie uranium enrichment in Russia. The Russians saw the writing on the wall when France, Germany and Britain began to march in lockstep with the United States. In particular, the widely but wrongly discounted nuclear belligerence of President Jacques Chirac last month implied that France was ready to accept the US use of nuclear weapons in a war against Iran if they saw fit to do so. The Iranian leadership's obvious confidence in its ability to deter the US, Britain and Israel seems to rest on mainly four assumptions. Iran is militarily much stronger than Iraq, much larger, its terrain more difficult, its society more cohesive - thus more difficult to defeat, to occupy and to pacify. In addition, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad seems to take particular comfort from the widely anticipated wave of popular outrage and anti-Western attacks in the wider Middle East if Iran should be attacked. Moreover, the economic costs of a war against Iran in terms of the price of oil and the interruption of the Iranian supply would propel the world economy into a tailspin. And finally, Iranian leaders seem to accept at face value the US moans over its overstretched military forces and the demoralization of US forces in Iraq. Certainly, Iranian misconceptions are helped mightily by the defeatism of the Western debate about such a war. "No good options" has become something like the consensus view: an airborne and special forces "surgical strike" (as well as a massive attack) against the Iranian nuclear industry and military targets could at best delay its nuclear program and will be followed by retaliation in Iraq, Lebanon etc; a ground attack is out of the question because most of deployable US ground forces are desperately busy in Iraq. If such things could be planned, one might be persuaded to consider this debate as an aspect of strategic deception. In fact, the US and British forces in Iraq and in the Persian Gulf as well as the forces in Afghanistan are quite able to redeploy on short notice, for example during the days of an initial air campaign against Iran for large-scale operations against the remaining Iranian forces and can be reinforced during the war. The US military infrastructure at the borders of Iran has a very substantial capability to deal with surge requirements. The somewhat standard scenario for this war - as indicated by Chinese and Russian war games - has the following features: An initial Israeli air attack against some Iranian nuclear targets, command and control targets and Shahab missile sites. Iran retaliates with its remaining missiles, tries to close the Gulf, attacks US naval assets and American and British forces in Iraq. If Iranian missiles have chemical warheads (in fact or presumed), the US will immediately use nuclear weapons to destroy the Iranian military and industrial infrastructure. If not, an air campaign of up to two weeks will prepare the ground campaign for the occupation of the Iranian oil and gas fields. Mass mobilization in Iraq against US-British forces will be at most a nuisance - easily suppressed by the ruthless employment of massive firepower. And Israel will use the opportunity to deal with Syria and South Lebanon, and possibly with its Palestinian problem. The character of this war will be completely different from the Iraq war. No show-casing of democracy, no "nation-building", no journalists, no Red Cross - but the kind of war the United States would have fought in North Vietnam if it had not had to reckon with the Soviet Union and China. Paul Levian is a former German intelligence officer. (Copyright 2006 Paul Levian.) Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing. -=snip=- http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HB03Ak02.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 5 20:07:44 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 5 21:08:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Supper Bowl Game Message-ID: <0IU80027BR4WS6D1@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> I call it that, because it starts when I'm supposed to sit down for supper. Or is it because that's what Snoopy calls it? So it's halftime, and I feel that I've wasted half my time watching this mess. The Steelburg Spitters obviously have the home field advantage, but have failed to dominate. The Seahawks are too far from salt water to stay within bounds on their pass plays. And the ads haven't been all that interesting or amusing so far. I'm supposed to watch the Rolling Stones during halftime? How soon can I go to bed, Mommy??? Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 5 21:20:29 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 5 21:23:49 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <43E6AF33.5040107@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IU800JAVUI52PJ9@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:06:43 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >Savage just mentioned this article, and here it is! Wow! What an interesting scenario... Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sun Feb 5 21:32:35 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 5 21:33:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <0IU800JAVUI52PJ9@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IU800JAVUI52PJ9@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: On Sun, 5 Feb 2006, Jerry Prather wrote: > On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:06:43 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: > Wow! What an interesting scenario... There's chatter in the system, such as this article, that this will not be a go-it-alone mission for either Israel or the U.S. And I have to hand it to Savage because he has been on that band for awhile now. What I found right on target in the article was the analysis of the import of Chirac's statement re his country's nukes, i.e. the implication therein that France would back any U.S. use of nukes. -- Bob (ZoidBoy) Bernstein From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 5 22:07:21 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Sun Feb 5 22:07:49 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] great superbowl Message-ID: <200602052207.21273.dep@drippingwithirony.com> america defeated starbucks and microsoft. dep -- This triangle of truisms, of father, mother and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilisations which disregard it. -- G. K. Chesterton From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Sun Feb 5 22:04:21 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Sun Feb 5 22:14:49 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <43E6AF33.5040107@bernstein.providence.ri.us> References: <43E6AF33.5040107@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <46d72e000602051904q69663223ia5717e10c3b7519@mail.gmail.com> On 2/5/06, Bob Bernstein wrote: > Savage just mentioned this article, and here it is! > > -=snip=- > Wow, that was good. Daniel From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 5 22:16:49 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Sun Feb 5 22:16:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <0IU800JAVUI52PJ9@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IU800JAVUI52PJ9@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602052216.50028.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Jerry Prather: | On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:06:43 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: | >Savage just mentioned this article, and here it is! | | Wow! What an interesting scenario... yeah, it is that. it is also wishful thinking. aintagonna happen. dep -- Religious liberty might be supposed to mean that everybody is free to discuss religion. In practice it means that hardly anybody is allowed to mention it. -- G. K. Chesterton From MSPRATH at aol.com Sun Feb 5 23:03:48 2006 From: MSPRATH at aol.com (MSPRATH@aol.com) Date: Sun Feb 5 23:05:51 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read Message-ID: <2ce.2d19a7c.311824a4@aol.com> That "aintagonna happen" was exactly what I was thinking. Even though I liked the premise. Personally, I think we should tell Iran that they can go ahead and build a nuke. But, if one gets used anywhere (not just on the US), Tehran's gone. And that includes any bomb that comes from some non-nation entity. No questions asked. Tehran's gone within minutes to be followed by Mecca. Then we put the onus on them to stop the terrorism. A slightly different twist on MAD. Mike In a message dated 2/5/2006 7:18:09 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, dep@drippingwithirony.com writes: X-INFO: INVALID TO LINE quoth Jerry Prather: | On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:06:43 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: | >Savage just mentioned this article, and here it is! | | Wow! What an interesting scenario... yeah, it is that. it is also wishful thinking. aintagonna happen. dep -- Religious liberty might be supposed to mean that everybody is free to discuss religion. In practice it means that hardly anybody is allowed to mention it. -- G. K. Chesterton _______________________________________________ os2-right-stuff-l mailing list os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 5 23:21:21 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Sun Feb 5 23:21:49 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <2ce.2d19a7c.311824a4@aol.com> References: <2ce.2d19a7c.311824a4@aol.com> Message-ID: <200602052321.21728.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth MSPRATH@aol.com: | That "aintagonna happen" was exactly what I was thinking. Even | though I liked the premise. | | Personally, I think we should tell Iran that they can go ahead and | build a nuke. But, if one gets used anywhere (not just on the US), | Tehran's gone. And that includes any bomb that comes from some | non-nation entity. No questions asked. Tehran's gone within | minutes to be followed by Mecca. Then we put the onus on them to | stop the terrorism. A slightly different twist on MAD. i agree, but for one problem: iranians are not arabs, and the arabs take great pride in that fact. iran, for instance, hates saudi arabia. it was not long ago that the discussion about an iranian nuke had to do with whether they'd use it on saudia. though with the current nutjob running the place, who knows. dep -- But in one respect, I will heartily concede, the cult of divorce has differed from the mere cult of death. The cult of death is dead. -- G. K. Chesterton From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Sun Feb 5 23:30:17 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Sun Feb 5 23:30:50 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] great superbowl In-Reply-To: <200602052207.21273.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <200602052207.21273.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <46d72e000602052030p6e1ac2ddv27284a212d49efda@mail.gmail.com> On 2/5/06, dennis e. powell wrote: > america defeated starbucks and microsoft. > > dep I didn't know starbucks is headquartered in the Pacific northwest. Hear-hear for the microsoft defeat. YA. Daniel From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Sun Feb 5 23:34:27 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Sun Feb 5 23:34:50 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <200602052321.21728.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <2ce.2d19a7c.311824a4@aol.com> <200602052321.21728.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <46d72e000602052034s1cea745es8b1d0cc4614b567a@mail.gmail.com> On 2/5/06, dennis e. powell wrote: > quoth MSPRATH@aol.com: > | That "aintagonna happen" was exactly what I was thinking. Even > | though I liked the premise. > | > | Personally, I think we should tell Iran that they can go ahead and > | build a nuke. But, if one gets used anywhere (not just on the US), > | Tehran's gone. And that includes any bomb that comes from some > | non-nation entity. No questions asked. Tehran's gone within > | minutes to be followed by Mecca. Then we put the onus on them to > | stop the terrorism. A slightly different twist on MAD. > I like it, too. > i agree, but for one problem: iranians are not arabs, and the arabs take > great pride in that fact. iran, for instance, hates saudi arabia. it > was not long ago that the discussion about an iranian nuke had to do > with whether they'd use it on saudia. though with the current nutjob > running the place, who knows. > > dep Since all the Muslim/Islam factions have a hard time getting along, why can't we rile things up between them (where they won't know it's an outside influence riling them up), and let them be the solution to our problems? Daniel From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 5 23:45:19 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Sun Feb 5 23:45:50 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <46d72e000602052034s1cea745es8b1d0cc4614b567a@mail.gmail.com> References: <2ce.2d19a7c.311824a4@aol.com> <200602052321.21728.dep@drippingwithirony.com> <46d72e000602052034s1cea745es8b1d0cc4614b567a@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <200602052345.19651.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Daniel Kruse: | Since all the Muslim/Islam factions have a hard time getting along, | why can't we rile things up between them (where they won't know it's | an outside influence riling them up), and let them be the solution to | our problems? because we have this annoying establishment called the state department, the self-assigned purpose of which is maintaining the status quo rather than the solution of problems. it thumbs its nose at presidents. and the world would be a better place if about half its career employees were taken out and shot. (right after we're done with trial lawyers, which will take a little while, because there are a half dozen honest trial lawyers, who survive in the business because they keep their honesty a secret, and they actually oughtn't be shot. fortunately, i know all of them.) dep -- The free man owns himself. He can damage himself with either eating or drinking; he can ruin himself with gambling. If he does he is certainly a damn fool, and he might possibly be a damned soul; but if he may not, he is not a free man any more than a dog. -- G. K. Chesterton From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 5 20:00:26 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 6 00:15:50 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Message to the World In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <0IU800CTBQSQTEU7@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 18:22:59 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >I suggest one amendment: > >To whom it may concern. Effective immediately for all U.S. sovereign >territories: all environmental constrictions on the exploration, drilling, >pumping, shipment and refining of petroleum products are herewith >suspended until further notice. Have a nice day. I'll second that Amendment! Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From spmaiorca at cox.net Mon Feb 6 01:21:29 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Mon Feb 6 01:22:51 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Supper Bowl Game In-Reply-To: <0IU80027BR4WS6D1@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IU80027BR4WS6D1@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602052221.29753.spmaiorca@cox.net> I was working and doing some writing... On Sunday 05 February 2006 5:07 pm, Jerry Prather wrote: > I call it that, because it starts when I'm supposed to sit down > for supper. Or is it because that's what Snoopy calls it? > > So it's halftime, and I feel that I've wasted half my time > watching this mess. The Steelburg Spitters obviously have the > home field advantage, but have failed to dominate. The Seahawks > are too far from salt water to stay within bounds on their pass > plays. And the ads haven't been all that interesting or amusing > so far. I'm supposed to watch the Rolling Stones during > halftime? > > How soon can I go to bed, Mommy??? > > Jerry > -- > Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l From sjkleinsr at cox.net Mon Feb 6 04:40:34 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Mon Feb 6 04:43:55 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Current Events Message-ID: <20060206094032.SXCA8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Current events at: http://www.geekculture.org/joyoftech/index.html Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 6 13:56:45 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 6 13:59:03 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Dear Arlen and Pat.... Message-ID: <38600.70.172.219.12.1139252205.squirrel@legomenon.org> (Linked to by Rush...) http://www.morgancunningham.net/downloads/article_18.pdf -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Mon Feb 6 16:43:48 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 6 16:53:04 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: New Law Firm Coming to Town Message-ID: <20060206214358.MTKL8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@enigmaster> A new law firm is coming to a town near you. And you includes the lawyers' favorite journalist, dep. ;-) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 82535 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060206/3465adf7/attachment-0001.jpg From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 6 17:22:31 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 6 17:23:05 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: New Law Firm Coming to Town In-Reply-To: <20060206214358.MTKL8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@enigmaster> References: <20060206214358.MTKL8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <200602061722.32007.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Mike Riddle: | A new law firm is coming to a town near you. | | And you includes the lawyers' favorite journalist, dep. | | ;-) very amusing. and it's not that i so much object to lawyers as to the fact that the practice of law is allowed and prostitution is not, yet the two closely resemble each other, differing only in that the latter provides some satisfaction. -- dep If there were no God, there would be no atheists. -- G. K. Chesterton From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 6 16:24:22 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 6 18:01:05 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: RE: [jazz-westcoast] interesting editorial today - is this it ??? Message-ID: <0IUA00J7IBGQ2M1D@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== >Received: from 2-10147-183-10147-110938-1-1139261534 ([172.18.12.131]) > by vms052.mailsrvcs.net > (Sun Java System Messaging Server 6.2-2.05 (built Apr 28 2005)) > with ESMTP id <0IUA004Q7AL1V7J0@vms052.mailsrvcs.net>; Mon, > 06 Feb 2006 15:05:33 -0600 (CST) >Received: from merchant.book.uci.edu (128.195.134.206) > by sv19pub.verizon.net (MailPass SMTP server v1.2.0 - 112105154401JY+PrW) > with ESMTP id <2-10147-183-10147-110938-1-1139261534> for > vms052pub.verizon.net; Mon, 06 Feb 2006 15:32:15 -0600 >Received: from merchant.book.uci.edu (merchant [127.0.0.1]) > by merchant.book.uci.edu (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id k16M06m27236; Mon, > 06 Feb 2006 14:00:06 -0800 >Received: from smtp812.mail.ukl.yahoo.com > (smtp812.mail.ukl.yahoo.com [217.12.12.202]) > by merchant.book.uci.edu (8.11.6/8.11.6) with SMTP id k16LxFm27219 for > ; Mon, 06 Feb 2006 13:59:16 -0800 >Received: (qmail 76536 invoked from network); Mon, 06 Feb 2006 21:04:22 +0000 >Received: from unknown (HELO asusdesktop) > (gordonsapsed@btinternet.com@86.140.27.119 with login) > by smtp812.mail.ukl.yahoo.com with SMTP; Mon, 06 Feb 2006 21:04:21 +0000 >Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 21:04:20 +0000 >From: "Gordon Sapsed" >Subject: RE: [jazz-westcoast] interesting editorial today - is this it ??? >In-reply-to: <013901c62b5d$b2d7d540$6401a8c0@Bill> >X-Originating-IP: [128.195.134.206] >Sender: jazz-westcoast-admin@merchant.book.uci.edu >To: >Errors-to: jazz-westcoast-admin@merchant.book.uci.edu >Reply-to: jazz-westcoast@merchant.book.uci.edu >Message-id: <002b01c62b60$e673c780$0301a8c0@asusdesktop> >MIME-version: 1.0 >X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 >X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by merchant.book.uci.edu id > k16LxFm27219 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6626 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >Content-transfer-encoding: 8bit >Importance: Normal >X-Priority: 3 (Normal) >X-MSMail-priority: Normal >Precedence: bulk >X-BeenThere: jazz-westcoast@merchant.book.uci.edu >X-Original-Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 21:04:20 -0000 >X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 >List-Post: >List-Subscribe: , > >List-Unsubscribe: > , > >List-Archive: >List-Help: >List-Id: Modern jazz in CA from 1945-1960. > > This may be what Linda spotted in the Arizona Star today : (Gordon Sapsed) Opinion My opinion Jonah Goldberg: Rappers sell fans pig in mainstream poke Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.06.2006 advertisement I am in no position to judge the merits of Kanye West's music. I stopped listening to rap when you could still find Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five on the radio. These days, I think it's mostly just noise. When people tell me, "Oh, but it's technically very complicated," or "You don't understand how much work goes into it," I'm reminded of a scene from "Don Quixote": A man walks to the center of town and gathers a crowd for the show he's about to put on. The man picks up a dog and inserts a tube into its rump. He begins to inflate the canine. The crowd watches, fascinated. The dog grows larger and rounder. Eventually, the man pulls the tube out and the air escapes loudly from the poor pooch's rear as it runs away. The man turns to the crowd and asks: "You think it's easy to inflate a dog with a tube?" Moral: Just because someone works hard at something doesn't mean it's great art. That's my disclosure for those who'd charge me with not "getting" rap music: guilty as charged. But I do think I understand marketing and public relations, and I am astounded by the naivete of young people - black and white - who actually buy the canned rebelliousness not just of rap music but of most pop music. West is simply the latest example of decades of hucksterism. Under the headline "The Passion of Kanye West," the rap star graces the cover of Rolling Stone posing as a bloodied Jesus with a crown of thorns. I particularly enjoy the publicity around the piece. Clearly borrowing from the same press release, publications across the country proclaim that the "outspoken rapper defends his brash attitude inside the magazine." Ah, yes. It's about time. After all, it's so rare to find a rapper with a brash attitude. Normally they're shy, retiring types overflowing with modesty and humility. I was particularly enamored with the "aw, shucks" Andy Griffith personalities of Niggaz With Attitude and the late Tupac Shakur. We're supposed to believe West has been persecuted for his anti-Bush tirades and his determination to keep it real. But his biggest complaint is that people criticize him for being arrogant. "You want me to be great, but you don't ever want me to say I'm great?" he asks. Of course, the editors also hoped to stir up some controversy, maybe even incite some religious conservatives to play to type, by exploiting the imagery of Jesus' suffering. I never went to Sunday school, but I don't recall that Jesus was crucified for being smug. It's all such an obvious con game. We hear so much about how kids today are cynical, skeptical, media-savvy and so forth. But if they're buying this hooey, they're idiots. Obviously, none of this is unique to rap or "black" music (quotation marks necessary because white suburban kids are the biggest market for the stuff). Big corporations have been marketing "rebellion" since the 1950s. And the kids fall for it every time. As far as the music industry goes, Kanye West is mainstream, but he won't admit it. Instead he sells himself as a victim of a society that can't handle his truth. Four million records sold and saturation adulation in the media suggest it can handle his truth just fine. The problem is, it ain't the truth. It's just a scam for kids who don't realize they're being played - again. Want to be a real rebel? Read a book. Contact Jonah Goldberg at JonahsColumn@aol.com _______________________________________________ jazz-westcoast mailing list jazz-westcoast@merchant.book.uci.edu http://merchant.book.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/jazz-westcoast ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 6 18:32:10 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 6 18:36:06 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Democrats tire me out... Message-ID: <0IUA00EULHDMSDU0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> I'm tired of moveon.org and their Congressional sycophants ranting about how the Bush administration has broken the law: i.e., FISA. My challenge to them is: bring a law suit. They ain't a gonna do that, because they know that FISA is unconstitutional. The President has the right to this "intrusion" and the Dems know it and have used it in the past. Bring it to the law, or shut up, Dems! Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Mon Feb 6 18:59:00 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 6 19:04:09 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Democrats tire me out... In-Reply-To: <0IUA00EULHDMSDU0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602062359.k16Nx1Bt017808@oasis.novia.net> On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 18:32:10 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >I'm tired of moveon.org and their Congressional sycophants >ranting about how the Bush administration has broken the law: >i.e., FISA. >My challenge to them is: bring a law suit. >They ain't a gonna do that, because they know that FISA is >unconstitutional. The President has the right to this >"intrusion" and the Dems know it and have used it in the past. >Bring it to the law, or shut up, Dems! http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/att/ EFF's Class-Action Lawsuit Against AT&T for Collaboration with Illegal Domestic Spying Program * FAQ * Summary of Key News Reports * Legal Documents * Related Links The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a class-action lawsuit against AT&T on January 31, 2006, accusing the telecom giant of violating the law and the privacy of its customers by collaborating with the National Security Agency (NSA) in its massive and illegal program to wiretap and data-mine Americans' communications. In December of 2005, the press revealed that the government had instituted a comprehensive and warrantless electronic surveillance program that ignored the careful safeguards set forth by Congress. This surveillance program, purportedly authorized by the President at least as early as 2001 and primarily undertaken by the NSA, intercepts and analyzes the communications of millions of ordinary Americans. In the largest "fishing expedition" ever devised, the NSA uses powerful computers to "data-mine" the contents of these Internet and telephone communications for suspicious names, numbers, and words, and to analyze traffic data indicating who is calling and emailing whom in order to identify persons who may be "linked" to "suspicious activities," suspected terrorists or other investigatory targets, whether directly or indirectly. But the government did not act-and is not acting-alone. The government requires the collaboration of major telecommunications companies to implement its unprecedented and illegal domestic spying program. AT&T Corp. (which was recently acquired by the new AT&T, Inc,. formerly known as SBC Communications) maintains domestic telecommunications facilities over which millions of Americans' telephone and Internet communications pass every day. It also manages some of the largest databases in the world, containing records of most or all communications made through its myriad telecommunications services. The lawsuits alleges that AT&T Corp. has opened its key telecommunications facilities and databases to direct access by the NSA and/or other government agencies, thereby disclosing to the government the contents of its customers' communications as well as detailed communications records about millions of its customers, including the lawsuit's class members. The lawsuit also alleges that AT&T has given the government unfettered access to its over 300 terabyte "Daytona" database of caller information -- one of the largest databases in the world. Moreover, by opening its network and databases to wholesale surveillance by the NSA, EFF alleges that AT&T has violated the privacy of its customers and the people they call and email, as well as broken longstanding communications privacy laws. The lawsuit also alleges that AT&T continues to assist the government in its secret surveillance of millions of Americans. EFF, on behalf of a nationwide class of AT&T customers, is suing to stop this illegal conduct and hold AT&T responsible for its illegal collaboration in the government's domestic spying program, which has violated the law and damaged the fundamental freedoms of the American public. From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 6 19:14:51 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 6 19:16:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Democrats tire me out... In-Reply-To: <0IUA00EULHDMSDU0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IUA00EULHDMSDU0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <39494.70.172.219.12.1139271291.squirrel@legomenon.org> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Mon, February 6, 2006 6:32 pm, Jerry Prather said: > I'm tired of moveon.org and their Congressional sycophants > ranting about how the Bush administration has broken the law: > i.e., FISA. This 'tactic' of theirs could backfire. Much as I don't think the election this year is going to be a slamdunk for the Republicans, I also think there are a LOT of VERY angry people out there who resent LIKE HELL the Dems playing politics with their lives and the future of the nation. What do the assembled faithful think about this November? - -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFD5+Z7h3xeHo8d3akRAmkAAJ4m9aiINa3LFJ7ltrs0xvYeZJv5BACeN2jt k0VT29ICeDtOy1B0e368qk0= =bMzO -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 6 19:22:09 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 6 19:23:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] ...and foithermore Message-ID: <39528.70.172.219.12.1139271729.squirrel@legomenon.org> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Here's an internet fun-fact that I discovered last night looking for an article: type 'congress foreign secret Constitution' into google and the first two hits are to opinionjournal.com! The second one, by Pete du Pont, gives the best argument yet for reading the Constitution in favor of the executive regarding foreign espionage and national security generally: "we find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pdupont/?id=110007823 - -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFD5+gxh3xeHo8d3akRAoLxAJ0dNPCl+38yCPUnEEkQpvnAazxmpwCdHtvu NXSV1LJAc2Hg13eKBtRwkiM= =kirF -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Mon Feb 6 19:21:16 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 6 19:24:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Democrats tire me out... In-Reply-To: <0IUA00EG9IZYWV70@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602070021.k170LG63025023@oasis.novia.net> On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:07:08 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >>http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/att/ >>EFF's Class-Action Lawsuit Against AT&T for Collaboration with >>Illegal Domestic Spying Program >Yeah, I knew about that. But where is the open association of >the Democrats with that suit? Will it get heard it time to make >any difference? It's all the (smarmy) art of politics... Did you read the LA Times editorial I posted earlier today? Need any more proof? Filing a suit against AT&T is pretty elegant (sneaky?). If the program does what the press thinks it does, it's because the Telcos are cooperating by providing access, probably under the CALEA that was passed in the 90s. From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 6 19:32:15 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 6 19:33:08 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] ...and foithermore In-Reply-To: <39528.70.172.219.12.1139271729.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <0IUA009CAK5RYSV1@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:22:09 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >"we find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many >members to keep secrets." B. Franklin [My new .sig! Thanks!] "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 6 20:31:59 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 6 21:24:09 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Democrats tire me out... In-Reply-To: <200602070021.k170LG63025023@oasis.novia.net> References: <0IUA00EG9IZYWV70@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> <200602070021.k170LG63025023@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <39691.70.172.219.12.1139275919.squirrel@legomenon.org> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Mon, February 6, 2006 7:21 pm, Mike Riddle said: > Did you read the LA Times editorial I posted earlier today? I couldn't get through it. I made me queasy. > probably under the CALEA that was passed in the 90s. ^^^^^ Ok, for the peanut gallery, qu'est-ce que 'CALEA'? everybody's a damn expert - -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFD5/iPh3xeHo8d3akRAnRGAJ4jGFEyu6r3oiJsmpAgCPtVyOtfogCeO9uZ HbMP8LyVPUUusNPfG2HKquo= =XyR2 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 6 20:48:27 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 6 21:24:10 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] ...and foithermore In-Reply-To: <0IUA009CAK5RYSV1@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> References: <39528.70.172.219.12.1139271729.squirrel@legomenon.org> <0IUA009CAK5RYSV1@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <39720.70.172.219.12.1139276907.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Mon, February 6, 2006 7:32 pm, Jerry Prather said: >> "we find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many >> members to keep secrets." B. Franklin > > [My new .sig! Thanks!] You're welcome! You said earlier tonight that you believe FISA is unconstitutional. Can you share why, and/or what you've read to that effect? My sense is that it must gall the Dem's to no end that FISA is, apparently, an _optional_ exercise in some cases, namely those where -- as in the NSA program in dispute -- one end of the communication arises in a foreign country. That narrows the "mandatory" scope of FISA to....what? Eavesdropping on communcations wholly contained within U.S. geography but transpiring between foreign agents, including U.S. citizens acting as same? (I realize that the writers of FISA did not intend this outcome!) I think that the condition of "during wartime" is not needed to assert the commander-in-chief's responsibility and concomitant authority to pursue such foreign intelligence as he deems necessary for the safety of the realm. Therefore, to the degree FISA encroaches on the executive's ability to undertake the unfettered pursuit of foreign intelligence, then it must unconstitutional. Pick one: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] You promised you'd lay off the NyQuil! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 6 08:20:05 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 6 21:25:08 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Yet another must-read In-Reply-To: <46d72e000602052034s1cea745es8b1d0cc4614b567a@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <0IU900DWPP1IT9C2@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 22:34:27 -0600, Daniel Kruse wrote: >Since all the Muslim/Islam factions have a hard time getting along, >why can't we rile things up between them (where they won't know it's >an outside influence riling them up), and let them be the solution to >our problems? That was tried (although I don't know that we were behind it). Iraq and Iran messed each other up pretty badly, but Iran didn't take down Saddam, and Iraq didn't end the theocracy. Both were incompetent, as usual; but they killed a lot of Muslims. No, I think a better target is to get the Iranians to rise up against their nut case government. I trust the Persian people more than the Arabs (for whatever that's worth). Jerry -- Jazz is alive and well and living in Brasil. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Mon Feb 6 21:44:34 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 6 21:45:10 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Democrats tire me out... In-Reply-To: <39691.70.172.219.12.1139275919.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <200602070244.k172icbl008920@oasis.novia.net> On Mon, 6 Feb 2006 20:31:59 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >Ok, for the peanut gallery, qu'est-ce que 'CALEA'? "Commnications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act." Glad you asked? From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Mon Feb 6 23:31:19 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Mon Feb 6 23:32:10 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Current Events In-Reply-To: <20060206094032.SXCA8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@172.18.53.8> References: <20060206094032.SXCA8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@172.18.53.8> Message-ID: <46d72e000602062031l511cf65as37353bb24544c41c@mail.gmail.com> On 2/6/06, Stan Klein, Sr. wrote: > Current events at: http://www.geekculture.org/joyoftech/index.html > > Stan Klein, Sr. > Homeless, live in a truck > Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black > Ouch. Daniel From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Mon Feb 6 23:53:45 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Mon Feb 6 23:54:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Democrats tire me out... In-Reply-To: <39494.70.172.219.12.1139271291.squirrel@legomenon.org> References: <0IUA00EULHDMSDU0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> <39494.70.172.219.12.1139271291.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <46d72e000602062053g3dff8bcap2cb46431523eaab5@mail.gmail.com> On 2/6/06, Bob Bernstein wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > This 'tactic' of theirs could backfire. Much as I don't think the > election this year is going to be a slamdunk for the Republicans, I > also think there are a LOT of VERY angry people out there who resent > LIKE HELL the Dems playing politics with their lives and the future of > the nation. > > What do the assembled faithful think about this November? > > Since you asked... I'm going to guess more moderates/conservatives will gain seats and more wackos will be ousted - I hope, anyway. Daniel From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Tue Feb 7 03:42:09 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Tue Feb 7 03:43:16 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Is the jig up? Message-ID: <43E85D61.3060207@bernstein.providence.ri.us> The Wall Street Journal Assad and the Ayatollah February 7, 2006; Page A26 In the matter of those Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed, reasonable people may differ on the wisdom of their publication. The reaction among some elements in Muslim communities is another issue. In Britain, Muslim protesters carried placards reading, "Butcher those who mock Islam." In Gaza, Palestinian gunmen stormed the offices of the European Union, never mind the billions the EU has disbursed in humanitarian aid over the years. In Beirut, rioters set fire to the building housing the Danish and Slovakian consulates and the Austrian embassy. So it's worth taking note of those in the Muslim world who have shown some perspective. "Who insults Islam more," asks Jordanian editor Jihad al-Momani. "A foreigner who draws the prophet or a Muslim with an explosive killing himself at a wedding in Amman or anywhere else?" Mr. Momani lost his job at the weekly newspaper Shihan for republishing three of the offending cartoons. In Lebanon, Prime Minister Fouad Sinoria has apologized to the Danish government, accepted the resignation of his interior minister for failing to protect the consulates, and said, "The prophet Mohammed cannot be defended in this way." In Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the country's leading Shiite cleric, condemned the cartoons' publication as a "horrific action." But he aimed most of his fire at those "misguided and oppressive" Muslims -- i.e., terrorists and their fellow travelers -- who "have exploited this . . . to spread their poison and revive their old hatreds with new methods." It was they, he said, and not the cartoonists, who were chiefly to blame for "[projecting] a distorted and dark image of the faith of justice, love and brotherhood." The Ayatollah has been a voice of sense and moderation throughout the conflict in Iraq, so his reaction now comes as no surprise. Compare that to the behavior of Bashar Assad's Syrian regime. In Damascus, "demonstrators" stormed and burned down the embassies of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Chile without the Syrians lifting a finger in their defense. We put "demonstrators" in quotation marks because no real protest could last 15 minutes in that dictatorship without official sanction. It has also been reported that Syrian nationals played a role in the attacks on the consulates in Lebanon. The assault in Damascus comes straight from the Middle East Autocrats' Playbook: Deflect popular discontent with your own misrule by directing hostility toward foreigners, especially Israel and the U.S. But it is a sign of cynicism and perhaps desperation that this Baathist and secular regime should now do so against European states -- traditionally neutral with respect to Syria -- and on behalf of a supposedly injured religion. In 1982, Mr. Assad's father inflicted a rather graver injury on Islam when he massacred 20,000 members of the Muslim Brotherhood at Hama. Another Baathist -- Saddam Hussein -- also tried to fly an Islamic banner in the waning days of his rule, so perhaps the Assad gang is running out of tricks. In the meantime, it's encouraging to know that in most places where democracy is taking root, voices of moderation are at least occasionally being heard. URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113927839219366805.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From spmaiorca at cox.net Tue Feb 7 13:29:06 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Tue Feb 7 14:54:26 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Is the jig up? In-Reply-To: <43E85D61.3060207@bernstein.providence.ri.us> References: <43E85D61.3060207@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <200602071029.07027.spmaiorca@cox.net> They also forgot in Lebanon the rioters set fire to local Churches. I'm worried for Mariam's family back in Egypt. -Patrick On Tuesday 07 February 2006 12:42 am, Bob Bernstein wrote: > The Wall Street Journal > > Assad and the Ayatollah > February 7, 2006; Page A26 > > In the matter of those Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed, > reasonable people may differ on the wisdom of their publication. The > reaction among some elements in Muslim communities is another issue. > > In Britain, Muslim protesters carried placards reading, "Butcher those > who mock Islam." In Gaza, Palestinian gunmen stormed the offices of > the European Union, never mind the billions the EU has disbursed in > humanitarian aid over the years. In Beirut, rioters set fire to the > building housing the Danish and Slovakian consulates and the Austrian > embassy. > > So it's worth taking note of those in the Muslim world who have shown > some perspective. "Who insults Islam more," asks Jordanian editor > Jihad al-Momani. "A foreigner who draws the prophet or a Muslim with > an explosive killing himself at a wedding in Amman or anywhere else?" > Mr. Momani lost his job at the weekly newspaper Shihan for > republishing three of the offending cartoons. In Lebanon, Prime > Minister Fouad Sinoria has apologized to the Danish government, > accepted the resignation of his interior minister for failing to > protect the consulates, and said, "The prophet Mohammed cannot be > defended in this way." > > In Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, the country's leading Shiite > cleric, condemned the cartoons' publication as a "horrific action." > But he aimed most of his fire at those "misguided and oppressive" > Muslims -- i.e., terrorists and their fellow travelers -- who "have > exploited this . . . to spread their poison and revive their old > hatreds with new methods." It was they, he said, and not the > cartoonists, who were chiefly to blame for "[projecting] a distorted > and dark image of the faith of justice, love and brotherhood." > > The Ayatollah has been a voice of sense and moderation throughout the > conflict in Iraq, so his reaction now comes as no surprise. Compare > that to the behavior of Bashar Assad's Syrian regime. In Damascus, > "demonstrators" stormed and burned down the embassies of Denmark, > Norway, Sweden and Chile without the Syrians lifting a finger in their > defense. We put "demonstrators" in quotation marks because no real > protest could last 15 minutes in that dictatorship without official > sanction. It has also been reported that Syrian nationals played a > role in the attacks on the consulates in Lebanon. > > The assault in Damascus comes straight from the Middle East Autocrats' > Playbook: Deflect popular discontent with your own misrule by > directing hostility toward foreigners, especially Israel and the U.S. > But it is a sign of cynicism and perhaps desperation that this > Baathist and secular regime should now do so against European states > -- traditionally neutral with respect to Syria -- and on behalf of a > supposedly injured religion. In 1982, Mr. Assad's father inflicted a > rather graver injury on Islam when he massacred 20,000 members of the > Muslim Brotherhood at Hama. > > Another Baathist -- Saddam Hussein -- also tried to fly an Islamic > banner in the waning days of his rule, so perhaps the Assad gang is > running out of tricks. In the meantime, it's encouraging to know that > in most places where democracy is taking root, voices of moderation > are at least occasionally being heard. > > URL for this article: > http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113927839219366805.html From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Wed Feb 8 00:53:02 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Wed Feb 8 00:53:34 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Grandstanding Message-ID: <46d72e000602072153i22abc94ds24a7f9ad3e3709f3@mail.gmail.com> Oh, this is so irritating. Are they paying their respects to the late Mrs. King or grandstanding? WTF is wrong with them? Although, it is great to see that they are stooping so low in the public eye. They've damaged their credibility before this and now this? Can't wait to see what Stein, Coulter, et al. have to say about this, if anything, since this can speak on its own. Great going, quasi-reverends Jackson and Sharpton, you make our work far easier. Please, keep opening your mouths so we can see just how far you can cram that fat foot down it. At the rate you two are going, why stop at one foot? Ram both of them down that gaping hole. And, if we get lucky, you both will implode. Thanks for letting me vent. Daniel From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 8 01:27:05 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 8 01:27:35 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Let's roll. Message-ID: <43E98F39.3060909@bernstein.providence.ri.us> The Wall Street Journal In a Single Night By EDWARD N. LUTTWAK February 8, 2006; Page A16 Many commentators argue that a pre-emptive air attack against Iran's nuclear installations is unfeasible. It would not be swift or surgical, they say, because it would require thousands of strike and defense-suppression sorties. And it is likely to fail even then because some facilities might be too well hidden or too strongly protected. There may well be other, perfectly valid reasons to oppose an attack on Iran's nuclear sites. But let's not pretend that such an attack has no chance of success. In fact, the odds are rather good. The skeptics begin sensibly enough by rejecting any direct comparison with Israel's 1981 air attack that incapacitated the Osirak reactor, stopping Saddam Hussein's first try at producing plutonium bombs. Iran is evidently following a different and much larger-scale path to nuclear weapons, by the centrifuge "enrichment" of uranium hexafluoride gas to increase the proportion of fissile uranium 235. It requires a number of different plants operating in series to go from natural uranium to highly enriched uranium formed in the specific shapes needed to obtain an explosive chain reaction. Some of these plants, notably the Natanz centrifuge plant, are both very large and built below ground with thick overhead protection. It is at this point that the argument breaks down. Yes, Iraq's weapon program of 1981 was stopped by a single air strike carried out by less than a squadron of fighter-bombers because it was centered in a single large reactor building. Once it was destroyed, the mission was accomplished. To do the same to Iran's 100-odd facilities would require almost a hundred times as many sorties as the Israelis flew in 1981, which would strain even the U.S. Air Force. Some would even add many more sorties to carry out a preliminary suppression campaign against Iran's air defenses (a collection of inoperable anti-aircraft weapons and obsolete fighters with outdated missiles). But the claim that to stop Iran's program all of its nuclear sites must be destroyed is simply wrong. An air attack is not a Las Vegas demolitions contract, where nothing must be left but well-flattened ground for the new casino to be built. Iran might need 100 buildings in good working order to make its bomb, but it is enough to demolish a few critical installations to delay its program for years -- and perhaps longer because it would become harder or impossible for Iran to buy the materials it bought when its efforts were still secret. Some of these installations may be thickly protected against air attack, but it seems that their architecture has not kept up with the performance of the latest penetration bombs. Nor could destroyed items be easily replaced by domestic production. In spite of all the claims of technological self-sufficiency by its engineer-president, not even metal parts of any complexity can be successfully machined in Iran. More than 35% of Iran's gasoline must now be imported because the capacity of its foreign-built refineries cannot be expanded without components currently under U.S. embargo, and which the locals cannot copy. Aircraft regularly fall out of the sky because Iranians are unable to reverse-engineer spare parts. The bombing of Iran's nuclear installations may still be a bad idea for other reasons, but not because it would require a huge air offensive. On the contrary, it could all be done in a single night. One may hope that Iran's rulers will therefore accept a diplomatic solution rather than gamble all on wildly exaggerated calculations. Mr. Luttwak is a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113937026599968085.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 8 01:41:19 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 8 01:41:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Let's review... Message-ID: <43E9928F.5040301@bernstein.providence.ri.us> The Wall Street Journal Inherent Authority By DAVID B. RIVKIN, JR. and LEE A. CASEY February 8, 2006; Page A16 After weeks of frenzied debate over its legality, the Senate Judiciary Committee has just held hearings on the NSA's electronic surveillance of al Qaeda operatives communicating with American citizens in the U.S. Many senators expressed the view that this program, whatever its policy merits, should be subjected to additional congressional regulation featuring greater judicial engagement. Proponents of such measures assume that this can be done without impairing the program's efficacy or violating the constitutional separation of powers. A related assumption is that presidential discretion in this matter, unsupervised by the courts, is constitutionally dubious and unduly threatens civil liberty. All these assumptions are flawed. Although enhanced congressional oversight of the NSA program may well be constitutionally permissible and even sensible as a policy matter, the requirement of a warrant for this type of surveillance would trench upon the president's constitutional power as commander in chief to monitor enemy communications in wartime. Far from being a "pervasive" domestic spying program, the NSA has simply intercepted the communications of al Qaeda operatives into, or out of, the U.S. As described by former NSA director, Gen. Michael V. Hayden, communications entirely within the U.S. are not targeted, and only those international communications involving al Qaeda on one end are collected and analyzed. All else is speculation (or wishful thinking) by the administration's political opponents. Even the NSA program's fiercest foes don't claim that it was designed or administered for snooping on the president's "enemies" or critics. Surveillance is conducted by career intelligence officials at an agency renowned for discretion and professionalism. Nor has the administration ignored privacy interests and congressional prerogatives. According to media accounts, administration officials have minimized the program's domestic footprint -- effectively limiting it to the collection of battlefield intelligence, or the practical equivalent, which is squarely within the president's constitutional authority. To be sure, discretionary presidential power has been abused in the past -- under both Democrat and Republican administrations -- and J. Edgar Hoover's ghost still haunts many who lived through the 1960s. However, the constitutionally proper way to prevent such abuses is through political accountability, not through the requirement of a warrant. Here it is important to note that while the Fourth Amendment requires all "searches and seizures" to be reasonable, not all searches require a warrant. The courts have long recognized circumstances in which warrantless searches and surveillance are legally permissible, including, as articulated by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court itself, the president's "inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information." The question is whether, and the extent to which, Congress can require the president to obtain a warrant where the Constitution itself does not. The courts have never squarely addressed this issue. By enacting the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), Congress certainly attempted to curtail the president's power in this area, although that statute applies only if the surveillance is conducted within the U.S., or if the target is an American. The law does not specifically address the interception of wartime enemy communications, although its operation is automatically suspended for 15 days after Congress has "declared" war. As the Justice Department recently explained in a detailed memorandum, interpreting FISA to forbid the president's making "tactical military decisions to authorize surveillance" would present serious constitutional problems. This program is at the core of his power as commander in chief, not at the periphery, as was President Truman's seizure of the nation's steel mills during the Korean War. In any event, a warrant requirement would be a bad idea. First, the president must be able to exercise his own judgment and discretion in certain critical areas, such as the actual conduct of an armed conflict. Imposing a warrant requirement on his ability to monitor enemy communications would fundamentally impair U.S. war-fighting abilities. Arrangements like FISA's "72-hour" exception, which permits the attorney general to authorize surveillance for up to 72 hours without a warrant, are insufficient to ensure the necessary speed. As Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has explained, this provision requires most of the work in preparing a warrant application to be accomplished before "emergency" surveillance is authorized. The time-saving is minimal. Second, FISA permits warrants only against foreign powers or agents of foreign powers. It does not address situations where al Qaeda's American contact does not act as an "agent" -- or may not even appreciate the significance of the communications. Amending FISA so that warrants could issue merely upon showing that an individual has had contact with al Qaeda would be possible, but it would devalue the Fourth Amendment's probable cause requirement to an unprecedented level. And it would draw the courts into review of discretionary presidential decisions that are not constitutionally subject to judicial control -- such as the determination whether a particular overseas-based individual is sufficiently associated with al Qaeda to pose a threat. Legislation permitting the courts to review the overall reasonableness of the program is also a flawed idea. The federal courts can only adjudicate actual cases and controversies; they cannot offer advisory opinions. Private litigants must establish that they have been injured in some individualized manner before they have "standing" to sue. Those whose conversations with al Qaeda have been monitored may have such standing, but requiring the executive branch to notify them of this fact would defeat the program's purpose -- to intercept the enemy's communications without his knowledge. In short, there is no obviously constitutional and practical means of subjecting NSA's al Qaeda surveillance program to regular judicial review. Instead, Congress must itself shoulder the responsibility. It might enact a new FISA that would fully bless the president's activities, but add enhanced oversight, involving more information sharing with more members of Congress, backed up by the threat to use its fiscal powers to de-fund the program if abuses arise. Having thus secured a bigger seat at the table, Congress would also have to share fully in the political risks and rewards associated with the NSA terrorist surveillance program. This may well be politically difficult and bureaucratically cumbersome, but no one ever said that constitutional governance is easy. Despite much grumbling by the critics, the real constitutional problem we face today is not the administration's program. Rather, it is demands that the president's war powers be checked by the judiciary, which is not politically accountable, instead of by Congress, which is. Messrs. Rivkin and Casey served in the Justice Department under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113936960153668061.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 8 02:29:51 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 8 02:30:35 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Grandstanding In-Reply-To: <46d72e000602072153i22abc94ds24a7f9ad3e3709f3@mail.gmail.com> References: <46d72e000602072153i22abc94ds24a7f9ad3e3709f3@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <45456.70.172.219.12.1139383791.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Wed, February 8, 2006 12:53 am, Daniel Kruse said: > Thanks for letting me vent. Please don't pussyfoot around Daniel; let us know what you really think! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From spmaiorca at cox.net Wed Feb 8 12:53:53 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Wed Feb 8 12:57:06 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Let's roll. In-Reply-To: <43E98F39.3060909@bernstein.providence.ri.us> References: <43E98F39.3060909@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <200602080953.53944.spmaiorca@cox.net> I think a swift surgical strike is out of the question what is needed is a massive air campaign not just to take out the reactors but also to take out as much of their conventional forces as well. I would be shocked if Al Sadir did not receive any backing from Iran. -Patrick On Tuesday 07 February 2006 10:27 pm, Bob Bernstein wrote: > r the new casino to be built. > Iran might need 100 buildings in good working order to make its bomb, > but it is enough to demolish a few critical installations to delay its > program for years -- and perhaps longer because it would become harder > or impossible for Iran to buy the materials it bought when its efforts > were still secret. Some of these installations may be thickly > protected against air attack, but it seems that their architecture has > not kept up with the performance of the latest penetration bombs. From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 8 08:48:43 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 8 13:58:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Let's review... In-Reply-To: <43E9928F.5040301@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IUD00J8HFP8RDN6@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Wed, 08 Feb 2006 01:41:19 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >Inherent Authority >By DAVID B. RIVKIN, JR. and LEE A. CASEY >February 8, 2006; Page A16 Hey, didn't I just say something like this??? Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 8 14:13:54 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 8 14:15:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Let's review... In-Reply-To: <0IUD00J8HFP8RDN6@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> References: <43E9928F.5040301@bernstein.providence.ri.us> <0IUD00J8HFP8RDN6@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <47624.70.172.219.12.1139426034.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Wed, February 8, 2006 8:48 am, Jerry Prather said: > Hey, didn't I just say something like this??? Hence the notion of 'review' in the Subject:! Think of that as an homage Jerry!! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From sjkleinsr at cox.net Wed Feb 8 13:49:50 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Wed Feb 8 14:41:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] I Believe Message-ID: <20060208184944.ZLOT4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> This is good, take time to read.... Believe... Have a seat....relax...and read this slowly. It kind a sums it all up.......... I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change. I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you can't. I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I believe - That either you control your attitude or it controls you. I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score. I believe - That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up. I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself. I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief. I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do. I believe - That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever. I believe - That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you. I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help. I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. I believe - That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon. I believe - That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in. I just did. Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us Wed Feb 8 14:54:48 2006 From: mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 8 15:51:09 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Friday humor a little early Message-ID: <20060208195451.TWLK8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== Telecom Digest tells us: An Indiana farm wife called the local phone company to report her telephone failed to ring when her friends called, and that on the few occasions when it did ring, her pet dog always moaned right before the phone rang. The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile elderly lady. He climbed a nearby telephone pole, hooked in his test set, and dialed the subscriber's house. The phone didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned loudly and the telephone began to ring. Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found: 1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire via a steel chain and collar. 2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose. 3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current when the phone number was called. 4 After a couple of such jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate on himself and the ground. 5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring. Which demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by pissing and moaning. ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 8 15:02:21 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 8 16:08:08 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Turin Greets Katie Couric Message-ID: <200602082002.k18K2KQN022082@oasis.novia.net> Surf to http://www.drudgereport.com/flash8cc.htm and see how Turin (or the birds of Turin) greeted the "always perky Katie Couric" today on Today. From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 8 16:33:41 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 8 16:55:09 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Turin Greets Katie Couric In-Reply-To: <200602082002.k18K2KQN022082@oasis.novia.net> References: <200602082002.k18K2KQN022082@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <47964.70.172.219.12.1139434421.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Wed, February 8, 2006 3:02 pm, Mike Riddle said: > Surf to http://www.drudgereport.com/flash8cc.htm and see how Turin > (or the birds of Turin) greeted the "always perky Katie Couric" today > on Today. So perky Katie is now covering olympic competition? Is that her new area of expertise? BTW: keep an eye on New Hampshire's favorite son Bode Miller in the downhill...Go Bode! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 8 21:57:51 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 8 21:58:12 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment Message-ID: <43EAAFAF.1010405@bernstein.providence.ri.us> "The rioting Muslims claim they are upset because Islam prohibits any depictions of Muhammad -- though the text is ambiguous on beheadings, suicide bombings and flying planes into skyscrapers." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20060209/cm_ucac/calvinandhobbesandmuhammad -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Wed Feb 8 23:37:47 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Wed Feb 8 23:42:16 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment In-Reply-To: <43EAAFAF.1010405@bernstein.providence.ri.us> References: <43EAAFAF.1010405@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <46d72e000602082037h6028f8bh420faafacac9e694@mail.gmail.com> On 2/8/06, Bob Bernstein wrote: > "The rioting Muslims claim they are upset because Islam prohibits any > depictions of Muhammad -- though the text is ambiguous on beheadings, > suicide bombings and flying planes into skyscrapers." > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20060209/cm_ucac/calvinandhobbesandmuhammad > > -- > Bob Bernstein Here, here, that was excellent. I liked the who do the Muslims think they are - liberals? Priceless! Daniel From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 8 23:47:34 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 8 23:48:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment In-Reply-To: <46d72e000602082037h6028f8bh420faafacac9e694@mail.gmail.com> References: <43EAAFAF.1010405@bernstein.providence.ri.us> <46d72e000602082037h6028f8bh420faafacac9e694@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <49151.70.172.219.12.1139460454.squirrel@legomenon.org> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Wed, February 8, 2006 11:37 pm, Daniel Kruse said: > Here, here, that was excellent. I tell ya excellent: being Ann Coulter's sex slave would be EXCELLENT. - -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFD6sllh3xeHo8d3akRAj0uAKCIrztxiq1lbXZjdV2XncKz1HLBUwCeOHu5 vGkqDiybBjq4mlBqrv7+jVc= =amh/ -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Wed Feb 8 23:52:49 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Wed Feb 8 23:53:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment In-Reply-To: <49151.70.172.219.12.1139460454.squirrel@legomenon.org> References: <43EAAFAF.1010405@bernstein.providence.ri.us> <46d72e000602082037h6028f8bh420faafacac9e694@mail.gmail.com> <49151.70.172.219.12.1139460454.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <46d72e000602082052v5e912089yaacf1c299743bcfa@mail.gmail.com> On 2/8/06, Bob Bernstein wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > > On Wed, February 8, 2006 11:37 pm, Daniel Kruse said: > > > Here, here, that was excellent. > > I tell ya excellent: being Ann Coulter's sex slave would be EXCELLENT. > > Having seen a photo of her so I know who she is, I can't disagree. Daniel From hourihanre01 at msn.com Wed Feb 8 23:52:08 2006 From: hourihanre01 at msn.com (JOHN HOURIHAN) Date: Wed Feb 8 23:53:16 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment References: <43EAAFAF.1010405@bernstein.providence.ri.us><46d72e000602082037h6028f8bh420faafacac9e694@mail.gmail.com> <49151.70.172.219.12.1139460454.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: Bob would like to be Rabbit's sex slave. ----- Original Message ----- From: Bob Bernstein To: Right-minded discussion of computing, politics,and life. Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 11:47 PM Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Wed, February 8, 2006 11:37 pm, Daniel Kruse said: > Here, here, that was excellent. I tell ya excellent: being Ann Coulter's sex slave would be EXCELLENT. - -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFD6sllh3xeHo8d3akRAj0uAKCIrztxiq1lbXZjdV2XncKz1HLBUwCeOHu5 vGkqDiybBjq4mlBqrv7+jVc= =amh/ -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ os2-right-stuff-l mailing list os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l From zoidberg at legomenon.org Thu Feb 9 00:27:33 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 9 01:33:22 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment In-Reply-To: References: <43EAAFAF.1010405@bernstein.providence.ri.us><46d72e000602082037h6028f8bh420faafacac9e694@mail.gmail.com> <49151.70.172.219.12.1139460454.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <49269.70.172.219.12.1139462853.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Wed, February 8, 2006 11:52 pm, JOHN HOURIHAN said: > Bob would like to be Rabbit's sex slave. Keep it up bigmouth! (And how, Oh Great Terse One, is anybody around here supposed to know who or what a "Rabbit" is?) Y'know my buddy Stan knows where you live; you hear a Freightliner comiing up the driveway -- it ain't gonna be Fedex!!! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From spmaiorca at cox.net Thu Feb 9 10:56:41 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Thu Feb 9 11:07:25 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment Message-ID: <20060209160255.TMJA20441.fed1rmmtao10.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Actuly the Islam is clear Mohamed basicly "An infedel and one who kils him will never meet in hell" so obviosly the basises of Islam are keep a sharp axe don't draw lving things and don't eat pork. > > From: Daniel Kruse > Date: 2006/02/08 Wed PM 11:37:47 EST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life." > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tonight's Top Comment > > On 2/8/06, Bob Bernstein wrote: > > "The rioting Muslims claim they are upset because Islam prohibits any > > depictions of Muhammad -- though the text is ambiguous on beheadings, > > suicide bombings and flying planes into skyscrapers." > > > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20060209/cm_ucac/calvinandhobbesandmuhammad > > > > -- > > Bob Bernstein > Here, here, that was excellent. I liked the who do the Muslims think > they are - liberals? Priceless! > Daniel > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Thu Feb 9 14:26:52 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 9 14:27:46 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Katrina Redux Message-ID: <20060209192656.WOVC5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== A driver is stuck in a traffic jam on the I-10 in Baton Rouge. Suddenly a man knocks on the window. The driver rolls down his window and asks, "What happened?" "Terrorists have kidnapped Kathleen Blanco, Ray Nagin, Aaron Broussard, & Michael Brown. They are asking for a $10 million ransom. Otherwise they are going to douse them with gasoline and set them on fire. We are going from car to car, taking up a collection." The driver asks, "How much is everyone giving?" "About a gallon" ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Thu Feb 9 21:06:33 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 9 21:07:52 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Very serious security issue re new Google Toolbar upgrade Message-ID: <20060210020633.WBKF613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_02.php#004400 February 09, 2006 Google Copies Your Hard Drive - Government Smiles in Anticipation Consumers Should Not Use New Google Desktop San Francisco - Google today announced a new "feature" of its Google Desktop software that greatly increases the risk to consumer privacy. If a consumer chooses to use it, the new "Search Across Computers" feature will store copies of the user's Word documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and other text-based documents on Google's own servers, to enable searching from any one of the user's computers. EFF urges consumers not to use this feature, because it will make their personal data more vulnerable to subpoenas from the government and possibly private litigants, while providing a convenient one-stop-shop for hackers who've obtained a user's Google password. "Coming on the heels of serious consumer concern about government snooping into Google's search logs, it's shocking that Google expects its users to now trust it with the contents of their personal computers," said EFF Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston. "Unless you configure Google Desktop very carefully, and few people will, Google will have copies of your tax returns, love letters, business records, financial and medical files, and whatever other text-based documents the Desktop software can index. The government could then demand these personal files with only a subpoena rather than the search warrant it would need to seize the same things from your home or business, and in many cases you wouldn't even be notified in time to challenge it. Other litigantsyour spouse, your business partners or rivals, whoevercould also try to cut out the middleman (you) and subpoena Google for your files." The privacy problem arises because the Electronic Communication Privacy Act of 1986, or ECPA, gives only limited privacy protection to emails and other files that are stored with online service providersmuch less privacy than the legal protections for the same information when it's on your computer at home. And even that lower level of legal protection could disappear if Google uses your data for marketing purposes. Google says it is not yet scanning the files it copies from your hard drive in order to serve targeted advertising, but it hasn't ruled out the possibility, and Google's current privacy policy appears to allow it. "This Google product highlights a key privacy problem in the digital age," said Cindy Cohn, EFF's Legal Director. "Many Internet innovations involve storing personal files on a service provider's computer, but under outdated laws, consumers who want to use these new technologies have to surrender their privacy rights. If Google wants consumers to trust it to store copies of personal computer files, emails, search histories and chat logs, and still 'not be evil,' it should stand with EFF and demand that Congress update the privacy laws to better reflect life in the wired world." For more on Google's data collection: http://news.com.com/FAQ+When+Google+is+not+your+friend/2100-1025_3-6034666.html?tag=nl http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/01/21/google_subpoena_roils_the_web http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/01/20/EDGEPGPHA61.DTL http://news.com.com/%20Bill+would+force+Web+sites+to+delete+personal+info/2100-1028_3-6036951.html ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From dep at drippingwithirony.com Thu Feb 9 22:16:09 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Thu Feb 9 22:15:53 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] vanentine for osama Message-ID: <200602092216.09518.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Little Melissa comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about the history of Valentine's Day. "Since Valentine's Day is for a Christian saint and we're Jewish," she asks,"will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine? Melissa's father thinks a bit, then says "No, I don't think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a valentine to?" "Osama Bin Laden," she says. "Why Osama Bin Laden?" her father asks in shock. "Well," she says, "I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough love to give Osama a valentine, he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and sent valentines to Osama, he'd love everyone a lot. And then he'd start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn't hate anyone anymore." Her father's heart swells and he looks at his daughter with newfound pride. "Melissa, that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard." "I know," Melissa says, "and once that gets him out in the open, the Marines could blow his ass up." -- dep This is the age in which thin and theoretic minorities can cover and conquer unconscious and untheoretic majorities. -- G. K. Chesterton From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Thu Feb 9 22:23:33 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Thu Feb 9 22:23:54 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Meet 2008 Star Sen. George Allen In-Reply-To: <4mt85l$frs7dq@xtinmta02.xt.local> References: <4mt85l$frs7dq@xtinmta02.xt.local> Message-ID: <46d72e000602091923y54e86542ue37edbf416befa32@mail.gmail.com> Quite a bit here but good info. Daniel ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: NewsMax.com Date: Feb 9, 2006 8:35 PM Subject: Meet 2008 Star Sen. George Allen To: daniel.lee.kruse@gmail.com To view this email as a web page, go to the link below, or copy and paste it into your browser's address window. http://view.e.newsmax.com/?ffcb10-fe881777716000747d-fe0015707664007d7210747d-ff2c1d70746d Star Player for 2008: George Allen's Common Sense Free Bonus Gifts Worth $32 Surprisingly, Sen. George Allen may already be the Republicans' front-runner for the White House. But few Americans know him. But nowNewsMax Magazinespecial report finds out about the real George Allen. We examine whether Virginia's favorite son can draw upon solid values and a tireless work ethic to capture the presidency. https://www.newsmaxstore.com/nm_mag/feb06.cfm?promo_code=1AF7-1 NewsMax Magazine's special report"Star Player for 2008: George Allen's Common Sense"features a wide-ranging exclusive interview with the GOP's rising star - son of NFL Hall of Fame Coach George Allen - as he eyes a White House run in 2008. In addition to our free offer for this special report with a gift worth $28, you can also getNewsMax Magazineat thousands of newsstands across the country, including many Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million bookstores. [Editor's Note:Check out our FREE offer by https://www.newsmaxstore.com/nm_mag/feb06.cfm?promo_code=1AF7-1 Going Here Now]. ThisNewsMax Magazinespecial report explores: Rush Limbaugh's suprising comments about Allen and the 2008 race. Why the former Virginia governor is the "default choice" for the GOP's Reagan tent. Why an early poll of Washington insiders named Allen as the outright front-runner for the nomination. The fateful move that led to George's first electoral victory. How Allen played "history trivia" with China's foreign minister - and avoided a tense confrontation. The memorable day George trespassed to propose marriage to his wife Susan. How a curious foreshadowing in the Allen family history points toward the White House. How then-Gov. Allen angered liberals with his comments about the Civil War. Inside: NewsMax joins the Senator at his office. The White House Derby - the latest betting odds on seven potential GOP candidates, including McCain, Condi, and Giuliani. Allen's eye-opening trip to Pakistan. How Allen states his views on the Patriot Act, NSA surveillance, the war on terrorism, taxes and partial-birth abortion. The heartfelt remarks that brought George heat from environmentalists. Allen's agenda for controlling illegal immigration. What Paul M. Weyrich, Pat Robertson, George Will and others have to say about an Allen candidacy. How Coach Allen's blood-and-guts credo propelled his four children to success. Allen's "secret weapon" for winning elections. George's favorite record album - and his surprising No. 1 pick among TV shows. Allen's two most important missions for the United States' future. And much more. In this blockbuster edition ofNewsMax Magazine, the Republicans' potential star player for 2008 tells readers: "It doesn't matter whether one is running for a state legislature, governor, senator or any other office - you need to be able to present ideas and ambition and solutions that actually motivate and inspire people to the cause." Find out about the first in-depth report on the many Washington insiders say will replace George Bush in the White House. Get this report FREE with an Emergency Radio worth $28 - https://www.newsmaxstore.com/nm_mag/feb06.cfm?promo_code=1AF7-1 Go Here Now. This edition ofNewsMax Magazineis not to be missed! Special $28 Bonus: GetNewsMax Magazineand we'll send you FREE a World Band Radio. Homeland Security has advised Americans that every home needs an emergency radio. The best emergency radio is one that doesn't even need batteries! Check out our offer https://www.newsmaxstore.com/nm_mag/feb06.cfm?promo_code=1AF7-1 Go Here Now. In addition to hard-hitting investigative reports and special commentary fromCarl Limbacher, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Ed Koch, Christopher Ruddy, Michelle Malkin, James Hirsen, Bill O'Reilly, Dick Morrisand many others, you will get much more inNewsMax Magazine, including: Ed Asner's rant: he blames Bush for 9/11 attacks. Rush Limbaugh battle with Al Franken. Chinese plan Taiwan blitzkrieg. How the media ignored the terror plot against U.S. ships and trains - a story carried all across Europe. Journalist Ken Timmerman reveals Iran's president and his desire to usher in an apocalyptic end of the world order. Tom Cruise linked to secret Scientology compound. Why billionaire investor Richard Rainwater fears an "economic tsunami." Michael Moore caught by tax records: his foundation owned stock. Donald Trump for hire - at $1.5 million per hour. Mel Gibson tells why he has no passion to be California governor. Details: Bill Clinton used NSA for economic espionage. How thieves steal your cell phone data: find out how to protect yourself. McCain prepared for Giuliani battle. Rep. Tancredo's crusade for border control. Austrian Web sites terminate Schwarzenegger. A hero fights Castro's oppression. Immigrant "baby boom" is crowding America. Maria Shriver shines as "California Madonna." NewsMax exclusive interview with Milton Friedman. Be careful: tap water is often contaminated. Five investment strategies for 2006. Impotence - a heart disease warning sign? Dr. Laura: Selfish moms and fatherless "families." Again, there is so much more inNewsMax Magazine, which recently won a Silver Eddie award in the News/Commentary category of the 2005 Eddies, Folio magazine's prestigious journalism awards. Check out our FREE offer for this special "Star Player for 2008: George Allen's Common Sense" report, plus check out our FREE offer for a World Band Radio - every family needs an emergency radio - https://www.newsmaxstore.com/nm_mag/feb06.cfm?promo_code=1AF7-1 Go Here Now https://www.newsmaxstore.com/nm_mag/feb06.cfm?promo_code=1AF7-1 http://view.e.newsmax.com/ftaf.aspx?ffcb10-fe881777716000747d-fe0015707664007d7210747d-ff2c1d70746d ex2;subscriberid TO ADVERTISEFor information on advertising at NewsMax.com, please contacthttp://cl.e.newsmax.com/?ffcb10-fe651171776104787110-fe0015707664007d7210747d-ff2c1d70746d Corrine McNurlin via e-mailor call 888-766-7542.TO SUBSCRIBEIf this News Alert has been forwarded to you and you would like a subscription, please visit:http://cl.e.newsmax.com/?ffcb10-fe641171776104787111-fe0015707664007d7210747d-ff2c1d70746d http://cl.e.newsmax.com/?ffcb10-fe631171776104787112-fe0015707664007d7210747d-ff2c1d70746d up for NewsMax e-mail alerts today!----------------------------------------To remove your e-mail address from our list or to modify your profile, Go Here( http://cl.e.newsmax.com/?ffcb10-fe621171776104787113-fe0015707664007d7210747d-ff2c1d70746d )We respect your right to privacy - visit the following URL to view our policy.( http://cl.e.newsmax.com/?ffcb10-fe61117177610478711c-fe0015707664007d7210747d-ff2c1d70746d )This email was sent to: (daniel.lee.kruse@gmail.com)This email was sent by: NewsMax.com4152 West Blue Heron Blvd, Ste 1114Riviera Beach, FL, 33404, USA 3744498 From dep at drippingwithirony.com Thu Feb 9 22:52:52 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Thu Feb 9 22:51:54 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] great quote Message-ID: <200602092252.53055.dep@drippingwithirony.com> from rod dreher: "The New York Times today publishes the image of a painting of the Virgin Mary pocked with cow dung. I don't know how doing so is productive towards realizing social comity, and in the unlikely event that mobs of Christians begin burning down newsstands all over New York, and threatening the Times editors with beheading, I hope that we will observe in our editorial commentary that as bad as these Christian mobs are, the Times started it." http://dallasmorningviews.beloblog.com/archives/2006/02/re_cartoon_late_3.html -- dep It is the main earthly business of a human being to make his home, and the immediate surroundings of his home, as symbolic and significant to his own imagination as he can. -- G. K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Thu Feb 9 23:02:01 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Thu Feb 9 23:05:55 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] looks more like mohammed (peace be upon his batter) to me Message-ID: <200602092302.01347.dep@drippingwithirony.com> http://www.local6.com/news/6880241/detail.html Couple Claims Jesus Appeared On Pancake Mike Thompson said he was making flapjacks for his family over the weekend when an image caught his eye. Upon closer inspection, Thompson noticed what appeared to be the face of Jesus. He showed his wife, who agreed the image appeared to be Jesus. Thompson said he believes the image is a sign from above. The couple is selling the pancake on eBay with an opening bid of $500. -- dep The idea, or at any rate the ideal, of the thing called a vow is fairly obvious. It is to combine the fixity that goes with finality with the self-respect that only goes with freedom. -- G. K. Chesterton -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: floridapancakejesus.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 8442 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060209/df25be02/floridapancakejesus-0001.jpg From dep at drippingwithirony.com Fri Feb 10 07:38:24 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Fri Feb 10 07:38:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] krauthammer makes the point Message-ID: <200602100738.24530.dep@drippingwithirony.com> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/09/AR2006020901434_pf.html Curse of the Moderates By Charles Krauthammer Friday, February 10, 2006; A19 As much of the Islamic world erupts in a studied frenzy over the Danish Muhammad cartoons, there are voices of reason being heard on both sides. Some Islamic leaders and organizations, while endorsing the demonstrators' sense of grievance and sharing their outrage, speak out against using violence as a vehicle of expression. Their Western counterparts -- intellectuals, including most of the major newspapers in the United States -- are similarly balanced: While, of course, endorsing the principle of free expression, they criticize the Danish newspaper for abusing that right by publishing offensive cartoons, and they declare themselves opposed, in the name of religious sensitivity, to doing the same. God save us from the voices of reason. What passes for moderation in the Islamic community -- "I share your rage but don't torch that embassy" -- is nothing of the sort. It is simply a cynical way to endorse the goals of the mob without endorsing its means. It is fraudulent because, while pretending to uphold the principle of religious sensitivity, it is interested only in this instance of religious insensitivity. Have any of these "moderates" ever protested the grotesque caricatures of Christians and, most especially, Jews that are broadcast throughout the Middle East on a daily basis? The sermons on Palestinian TV that refer to Jews as the sons of pigs and monkeys? The Syrian prime-time TV series that shows rabbis slaughtering a gentile boy to ritually consume his blood? The 41-part (!) series on Egyptian TV based on that anti-Semitic czarist forgery (and inspiration of the Nazis), "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," showing the Jews to be engaged in a century-old conspiracy to control the world? A true Muslim moderate is one who protests desecrations of all faiths. Those who don't are not moderates but hypocrites, opportunists and agents for the rioters, merely using different means to advance the same goal: to impose upon the West, with its traditions of freedom of speech, a set of taboos that is exclusive to the Islamic faith. These are not defenders of religion but Muslim supremacists trying to force their dictates upon the liberal West. And these "moderates" are aided and abetted by Western "moderates" who publish pictures of the Virgin Mary covered with elephant dung and celebrate the "Piss Christ" (a crucifix sitting in a jar of urine) as art deserving public subsidy, but who are seized with a sudden religious sensitivity when the subject is Muhammad. Had they not been so hypocritical, one might defend their refusal to republish these cartoons on the grounds that news value can sometimes be trumped by good taste and sensitivity. After all, on grounds of basic decency, American newspapers generally -- and correctly -- do not publish pictures of dead bodies, whatever their news value. There is a "sensitivity" argument for not having published the cartoons in the first place, back in September when they first appeared in that Danish newspaper. But it is not September. It is February. The cartoons have been published, and the newspaper, the publishers and Denmark itself have come under savage attack. After multiple arsons, devastating boycotts, and threats to cut off hands and heads, the issue is no longer news value, i.e., whether a newspaper needs to publish them to inform the audience about what is going on. The issue now is solidarity. The mob is trying to dictate to Western newspapers, indeed Western governments, what is a legitimate subject for discussion and caricature. The cartoons do not begin to approach the artistic level of Salman Rushdie's prose, but that's not the point. The point is who decides what can be said and what can be drawn within the precincts of what we quaintly think of as the free world. The mob has turned this into a test case for freedom of speech in the West. The German, French and Italian newspapers that republished these cartoons did so not to inform but to defy -- to declare that they will not be intimidated by the mob. What is at issue is fear. The unspoken reason many newspapers do not want to republish is not sensitivity but simple fear. They know what happened to Theo van Gogh, who made a film about the Islamic treatment of women and got a knife through the chest with an Islamist manifesto attached. The worldwide riots and burnings are instruments of intimidation, reminders of van Gogh's fate. The Islamic "moderates" are the mob's agents and interpreters, warning us not to do this again. And the Western "moderates" are their terrified collaborators who say: Don't worry, we won't. It's those Danes. We're clean. Spare us. Please. letters@charleskrauthammer.com -- dep Most modern freedom is at root fear. It is not so much that we are too bold to endure rules; it is rather that we are too timid to endure responsibilities. -- G. K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Fri Feb 10 07:48:20 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dennis e. powell) Date: Fri Feb 10 07:48:03 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] imagine the coverage . . . Message-ID: <200602100748.20389.dep@drippingwithirony.com> . . . this story would be receiving if it had happened at a mosque: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-grapejuice2feb10,0,4713060.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines Church juice was poisoned, police say By Donna Porstner Staff Writer Published February 10 2006 DARIEN -- The grape juice that sickened 40 people at a Darien church Sunday was intentionally poisoned, police said yesterday. "We have a crime. We just don't know what the motive is," Darien Police Capt. Fred Komm said. He said the juice was likely poisoned at the church. Members of the congregation reported a burning sensation in their throats after drinking less than a half-ounce near the end of the Calvary Baptist Church's 11 a.m. service. Five people who became nauseated and started vomiting were taken to area hospitals. No one was seriously injured. A deacon purchased the 64-ounce container of Welch's purple grape juice Saturday at the CVS Pharmacy, a few doors down from the church at 988 Post Road. Preliminary test results revealed the contaminant was foreign to the manufacturing process, ruling out that it could have entered the bottle at the Welch's factory in Massachusetts, Komm said. . . . -- dep A citizen can hardly distinguish between a tax and a fine, except that the fine is generally much lighter. -- G. K. Chesterton From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Fri Feb 10 14:42:58 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 10 14:44:14 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Sistani Nobel? Message-ID: <43ECECC2.5080608@bernstein.providence.ri.us> >From NRO: -=snip=- Ayatollah Sistani has called the publication of the cartoons a "horrific action," not surprisingly. But he also has condemned the "misguided and oppressive" Muslims who "have exploited this . . . to spread poison and revive old hatreds with new methods." They, he continued, project "a distorted and dark image of the faith of justice, love, and brotherhood." In a better world, Sistani would have a Nobel Peace Prize. This is hereby a call for someone out there who is eligible to make a nomination ? a category including congressmen and professors ? to make the nomination. http://nationalreview.com/week/editors200602101140.asp -=snip=- Discuss. Give reasons for your answer. Neatness counts. Use extra sheets of paper if needed. -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Fri Feb 10 15:09:46 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 10 15:11:09 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The French Roar: "Who Woulda Thunk?" Message-ID: <20060210200956.RTLI8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@enigmaster> France secretly upgrades capacity of nuclear arsenal ? Modification increases range of missiles ? Altitude bomb to knock out electronic systems Kim Willsher in Paris Friday February 10, 2006 The Guardian France has secretly modified its nuclear arsenal to increase the strike range and accuracy of its weapons. The move comes weeks after President Jacques Chirac warned that states which threatened the country could face the "ultimate warning" of a nuclear retaliation. A military source quoted yesterday by the Lib?ration newspaper claimed France had tinkered with its nuclear weapons to improve their strike capability and make this threat more credible. The source said there had been two major changes: the bombs can now be fired at high altitude to create an "electromagnetic impulsion" to destroy the enemy's computer and communications systems; and the number of nuclear warheads has been reduced to increase the missiles' range and precision. During his surprise speech, which was made in January, President Chirac said: "The number of nuclear warheads has been reduced in certain of the missiles in our submarines". Military experts said this was not a step towards disarmament, but a move to improve the performance of the weapons. Until now each submarine carried 16 French-made M45 missiles, each fitted with six nuclear warheads. After being fired, each warhead would separate to hit a different target, in effect giving each submarine 96 nuclear bombs. In reducing the number of warheads, down to one per missile in some cases, the weapon is lighter and has a longer range. It can also be targeted more accurately. Lib?ration speculates that while potential targets are "secret", it is clear they include the Middle East or Asia, and that its military contacts suggest the changes are aimed at adding "flexibility" to France's nuclear deterrent. "These evolutions are aimed at better taking into account the psychology of the enemy," defence minister Mich?le Alliot-Marie said after President Chirac's warning in January. In a speech to MPs, she added: "A potential enemy may think that France, given its principles, might hesitate to use the entire force of its nuclear arsenal against civilian populations. "Our country has modified its capacity for action and from now on has the possibility to target the control centres of an eventual enemy." French government sources said the president's speech, given at a nuclear submarine base in Brittany, was not targeted specifically at Iran - despite Tehran's decision to continue its nuclear programme - or at individual terrorist organisations, but at countries that posed a direct threat to France itself. It is also seen as an attempt to justify the more than ?3.5bn (?2.4bn) a year France spends to maintain its estimated 300-350 nuclear weapons more than a decade after the end of the cold war. "The ultimate warning restores the principle of dissuasion," the military source told Lib?ration. The president is not talking about a choice between an apocalypse or nothing at all." The paper says according to its information "ultimate warning" could take two new forms. The most demonstrative would be to fire a relatively weak warhead into a deserted zone far from centres of power and habitation. The more radical option would be to explode a bomb at an extremely high altitude with the aim of creating a brief but enormously strong electromagnetic field which would disable or destroy all non-protected electronic systems in the area. During the cold war France's "ultimate threat" involved firing nuclear bombs into Soviet military divisions and large cities. From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Fri Feb 10 15:49:15 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 10 15:54:09 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: A Leftist at Play Message-ID: <20060210204925.PZAE4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== Madonna Attempts to Insert Her Head Where It Belongs ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 77367 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060210/f6ef49d7/attachment-0001.gif From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Fri Feb 10 21:37:56 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 10 21:38:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Question and answer Message-ID: <43ED4E04.8040002@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Q. Can a society built on religious tolerance accommodate one built on religious intolerance? A. "...the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. And such is the nature of the understanding, that it cannot be compelled to the belief of anything by outward force...It is only light and evidence that can work a change in men's opinions; which light can in no manner proceed from corporal sufferings, or any other outward penalties." John Locke _A Letter Concerning Toleration_ 1689. -- Bob Bernstein From sweeks1951 at netzero.net Sat Feb 11 01:42:06 2006 From: sweeks1951 at netzero.net (Steve Weeks) Date: Sat Feb 11 01:43:23 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Turin Greets Katie Couric In-Reply-To: <47964.70.172.219.12.1139434421.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: Based only on what I saw tonight, Bode Miller is an arrogant, legend-in-his-own-mind, ass-hole. -----Original Message----- From: os2-right-stuff-l-bounces@jtan.com [mailto:os2-right-stuff-l-bounces@jtan.com]On Behalf Of Bob Bernstein Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 1:34 PM To: Mike Riddle; Right-minded discussion of computing, politics,and life. Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Turin Greets Katie Couric On Wed, February 8, 2006 3:02 pm, Mike Riddle said: > Surf to http://www.drudgereport.com/flash8cc.htm and see how Turin > (or the birds of Turin) greeted the "always perky Katie Couric" today > on Today. So perky Katie is now covering olympic competition? Is that her new area of expertise? BTW: keep an eye on New Hampshire's favorite son Bode Miller in the downhill...Go Bode! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. _______________________________________________ os2-right-stuff-l mailing list os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l From kari.m.jackson at verizon.net Sat Feb 11 10:48:38 2006 From: kari.m.jackson at verizon.net (Kari Jackson) Date: Sat Feb 11 10:49:27 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] looks more like mohammed (peace be upon his batter) to me In-Reply-To: <200602092302.01347.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <200602092302.01347.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.0.20060211104811.01ed6170@verizon.net> Isn't that Charles Manson? At 2/9/2006 11:02 PM, dep wrote: >http://www.local6.com/news/6880241/detail.html > >Couple Claims Jesus Appeared On Pancake Kari Jackson White Plains, NY From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sat Feb 11 13:15:52 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 11 13:16:31 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Turin Greets Katie Couric In-Reply-To: References: <47964.70.172.219.12.1139434421.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <59124.70.172.219.12.1139681752.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Sat, February 11, 2006 1:42 am, Steve Weeks said: > Based only on what I saw tonight, Bode Miller is an arrogant, > legend-in-his-own-mind, ass-hole. I have absolutely no doubt that your assessment is one hundred percent correct. I missed what you saw -- I've never so much as laid eyes on this guy -- and now I am glad about that. My brother and his wife live just above Franconia Notch, NH, and are both avid skiers, and they tend to read the sort of thing you saw as just "pumped up," or "really competitive." Thanks for the information, and now I can give up the pretence of seeming to give a rat's patoot about this guy, just to be "supportive" of my brother! (I have similar feelings about people who get excited about ROCK CLIMBING.) -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Sat Feb 11 13:31:16 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Sat Feb 11 13:32:31 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Another New Law Firm Message-ID: <20060211183126.CEES4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> There's another new law firm in town. Here's their ad: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 105213 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060211/5902c1e6/attachment-0001.jpg From sjkleinsr at cox.net Sat Feb 11 13:50:57 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Sat Feb 11 13:51:30 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Another New Law Firm Message-ID: <20060211185115.FYNG8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Thats a keeper, thanks Mike. > > From: "Mike Riddle" > > There's another new law firm in town. Here's their ad: > Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From kari.m.jackson at verizon.net Sun Feb 12 09:04:07 2006 From: kari.m.jackson at verizon.net (Kari Jackson) Date: Sun Feb 12 09:04:46 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <43DAF337.3000002@operagost.com> References: <200601271700.k0RH02s9007581@mailman.jtan.com> <43DAF337.3000002@operagost.com> Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.0.20060127233942.01e5a1d8@verizon.net> Almost everyone who is against "Reaganomics" is against it for that same reason - because they think it is harmful to the poor and middle classes. It doesn't make them idiots. There are just as many smart people among them, as there are among us. The difference between them and us is not idiocy or intelligence. It is only one thing: It is whether or not someone has explained to them, in a way they can understand, that it is DIFFICULT TO PREVENT wealth from "trickling down" to those very people they're worried about, if only governmental interference were to be removed from the equation and free enterprise were allowed to work as it would without such interference. Not having had the opportunity or reason to think about that for long enough (after having been given the basic economic knowledge necessary for grasping it) to realize how simple it is, does not make one an idiot. It just means they've been busy thinking about other things and never thought about economics. It SEEMS OBVIOUS, at first glance, that the existence of rich people means other people will be poorer. If you never THINK about it (doesn't mean you're stupid, JUST NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT SUBJECT) and just accept the "obvious" as truth, the way all your other Democrat cronies do, then you never realize how completely false it is, and you're a Democrat. Some Democrats are idiots, yes, but thinking that rich people make other people poor does NOT MAKE one an idiot. It is THE NATURAL BELIEF for anyone who doesn't have a CLUE about economics, WHICH IS MOST PEOPLE. Calling them idiots won't get them to realize the truth. Giving them the basic building blocks of knowledge to be able to understand, might. In my case, I'm an avid reader, so all Dennis had to do was give me a copy of Atlas Shrugged and I did the rest myself; poof, I was a Republican (I had already been leaning a little bit in that direction, but I had no idea why; after reading that book I sure knew why)! In the case of people who don't read much, you sure as heck can't give them an 1168-page book, so I don't know how to set them up for the understanding, but treating them like idiots (or especially telling them that they are) sure isn't going to do it. At 1/27/2006 11:29 PM, Stephen Eickhoff wrote: >I enjoyed the novel, except for this single, stunning incongruity: > >"Most of our neighbors in Fremont were bus drivers, policemen, gas >station attendants, and unwed mothers collecting welfare, exactly >the sort of blue-collar people who would soon suffocate under the >pillow Reaganomics pressed to their faces." > >Either it's the fictional character speaking, or the author is a >flat-out idiot. Kari Jackson White Plains, NY From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 12 09:20:50 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 12 09:21:46 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <7.0.0.16.0.20060127233942.01e5a1d8@verizon.net> Message-ID: <0IUK004VCVUULZN1@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 09:04:07 -0500, Kari Jackson wrote: >At 1/27/2006 11:29 PM, Stephen Eickhoff wrote: >>I enjoyed the novel, except for this single, stunning incongruity: >> >>"Most of our neighbors in Fremont were bus drivers, policemen, gas >>station attendants, and unwed mothers collecting welfare, exactly >>the sort of blue-collar people who would soon suffocate under the >>pillow Reaganomics pressed to their faces." >> >>Either it's the fictional character speaking, or the author is a >>flat-out idiot. Stephen, I gave you a rather flip response to your comment/question. I've been thinking about it more. It seems to me that the paragraph is totally out of place in the context of that book. The book constantly refers to people who were busily out there taking care of themselves and their families - very independent minded people. There were also direct references to people rejecting welfare out of a sense of pride. Dennis, you know publishing. Is it possible that this paragraph was forced on the author by a leftist editor or publisher? Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 12 10:10:33 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sun Feb 12 10:09:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <0IUK004VCVUULZN1@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IUK004VCVUULZN1@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602121010.33918.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Jerry Prather: | It seems to me that the paragraph is totally out of place in the | context of that book. The book constantly refers to people who | were busily out there taking care of themselves and their | families - very independent minded people. There were also | direct references to people rejecting welfare out of a sense of | pride. | | Dennis, you know publishing. Is it possible that this paragraph | was forced on the author by a leftist editor or publisher? for some reason unknown to me, i seem not to have gotten messages leading up to this morning's exchange, so my response is context-free. that having been said, sure it's possible. in my experience, this often happens in periodicals; i did a magazine piece once which so suffered from the fine italian hand that i ended up submitting -- and insisting upon publication -- of a correction that ran several pages. in my view, if editors want to write, they ought to write, but when editing they ought to leave other people's stuff the hell alone except as to matters of grammar, spelling, clarity, and, when needed, challenging the author as to meaning. after which the author needs to work his way out of it. now. book contracts are written with the advantage going to the publisher -- it's within the publisher's power to insist on anything. absolutely anything. (the author may withdraw the submission and return the advance; in some draconian contracts he may even have to pay the publisher for the time and effort put into the withdrawn item, but this doesn't very often happen.) it's further possible that the editor, annoyed as they often are at being editors, might either inject his own notions or what he supposes the publishers notions are into the book. i think it would make more sense for there to be a convention: if the editor doesn't like the book, he ought to give it to someone else or insist on an alan smithee credit. ("alan smithee" is a convention adopted by the directors guild; if after finishing a project a director decides it sucks, he can use the name alan smithee in the directorial credit instead of his own.) i cannot of course know the details in this case; however, the paragraph is moronic. it assumes facts not in evidence. it assumes facts that *cannot* be in evidence, because those facts do not exist. -- dep I do not ask them to assume the worth of my creed or any creed; and I could wish they did not so often ask me to assume the worth of their worthless, poisonous plutocratic modern society. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 11:34:54 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 11:43:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 Message-ID: <20060212164027.QEKN17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > Actualy it dose what do you think the D realy stands for? > From: Kari Jackson > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun AM 09:04:07 EST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, and life." > > CC: os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 > > > Almost everyone who is against "Reaganomics" is against it for that > same reason - because they think it is harmful to the poor and middle > classes. It doesn't make them idiots. There are just as many smart > people among them, as there are among us. The difference between > them and us is not idiocy or intelligence. It is only one thing: It > is whether or not someone has explained to them, in a way they can > understand, that it is DIFFICULT TO PREVENT wealth from "trickling > down" to those very people they're worried about, if only > governmental interference were to be removed from the equation and > free enterprise were allowed to work as it would without such interference. > > Not having had the opportunity or reason to think about that for long > enough (after having been given the basic economic knowledge > necessary for grasping it) to realize how simple it is, does not make > one an idiot. It just means they've been busy thinking about other > things and never thought about economics. > > It SEEMS OBVIOUS, at first glance, that the existence of rich people > means other people will be poorer. If you never THINK about it > (doesn't mean you're stupid, JUST NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT SUBJECT) > and just accept the "obvious" as truth, the way all your other > Democrat cronies do, then you never realize how completely false it > is, and you're a Democrat. Some Democrats are idiots, yes, but > thinking that rich people make other people poor does NOT MAKE one an > idiot. It is THE NATURAL BELIEF for anyone who doesn't have a CLUE > about economics, WHICH IS MOST PEOPLE. > > Calling them idiots won't get them to realize the truth. Giving them > the basic building blocks of knowledge to be able to understand, > might. In my case, I'm an avid reader, so all Dennis had to do was > give me a copy of Atlas Shrugged and I did the rest myself; poof, I > was a Republican (I had already been leaning a little bit in that > direction, but I had no idea why; after reading that book I sure knew > why)! In the case of people who don't read much, you sure as heck > can't give them an 1168-page book, so I don't know how to set them up > for the understanding, but treating them like idiots (or especially > telling them that they are) sure isn't going to do it. > > > At 1/27/2006 11:29 PM, Stephen Eickhoff wrote: > >I enjoyed the novel, except for this single, stunning incongruity: > > > >"Most of our neighbors in Fremont were bus drivers, policemen, gas > >station attendants, and unwed mothers collecting welfare, exactly > >the sort of blue-collar people who would soon suffocate under the > >pillow Reaganomics pressed to their faces." > > > >Either it's the fictional character speaking, or the author is a > >flat-out idiot. > > Kari Jackson > White Plains, NY > > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 12 12:02:18 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sun Feb 12 12:01:49 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <20060212164027.QEKN17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060212164027.QEKN17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602121202.18632.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: | > Actualy it dose what do you think the D realy stands for? death to topposters. -- dep Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 13:14:54 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Sun Feb 12 13:15:50 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <200602121202.18632.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <20060212164027.QEKN17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> <200602121202.18632.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602121014.54497.spmaiorca@cox.net> I thought it meant dumb On Sunday 12 February 2006 9:02 am, dep wrote: > quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: > | > Actualy it dose what do you think the D realy stands for? > > death to topposters. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Sun Feb 12 13:52:33 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Sun Feb 12 13:52:50 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <200602121014.54497.spmaiorca@cox.net> Message-ID: <200602121852.k1CIqY85017502@oasis.novia.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 10:14:54 -0800, S.P. Maiorca wrote: >I thought it meant dumb >On Sunday 12 February 2006 9:02 am, dep wrote: >> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: >> | > Actualy it dose what do you think the D realy stands for? >> >> death to topposters. Okay, "Death to Dumb Top Posters." (Even if my editor does insist that's an oxymoron.) From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 14:55:43 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 14:58:53 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 Message-ID: <20060212195441.KHTE26964.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > > From: "S.P. Maiorca" > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun AM 10:14:54 PST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life." > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 > > I thought it meant dumb > On Sunday 12 February 2006 9:02 am, dep wrote: > > quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: > > | > Actualy it dose what do you think the D realy stands for? > > > > death to topposters. > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l OK so Im now bottom posting and my claim was that Democrat and Dumb were interchangable. > From kari.m.jackson at verizon.net Sun Feb 12 15:59:58 2006 From: kari.m.jackson at verizon.net (Kari Jackson) Date: Sun Feb 12 15:59:53 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <20060212195441.KHTE26964.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net@[172.18.180. 8]> References: <20060212195441.KHTE26964.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.0.20060212155819.01cf1450@verizon.net> Which is exactly the attitude which will never have the slightest hope of convincing anyone of anything (except your immaturity). At 2/12/2006 02:55 PM, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: >OK so Im now bottom posting and my claim was that Democrat and Dumb >were interchangable. Kari Jackson White Plains, NY From sjkleinsr at cox.net Sun Feb 12 16:06:23 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Sun Feb 12 16:06:53 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting Message-ID: <20060212210623.JETP8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. > > From: Kari Jackson > > Which is exactly the attitude which will never have the slightest > hope of convincing anyone of anything (except your immaturity). > > At 2/12/2006 02:55 PM, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: > > >OK so Im now bottom posting and my claim was that Democrat and Dumb > >were interchangable. > Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sun Feb 12 17:30:15 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 12 17:30:55 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting In-Reply-To: <20060212210623.JETP8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> References: <20060212210623.JETP8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Message-ID: <35452.70.172.219.12.1139783415.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Sun, February 12, 2006 4:06 pm, Stan Klein, Sr. said: > Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. Kewl, huh? -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From sjkleinsr at cox.net Sun Feb 12 17:37:30 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Sun Feb 12 17:43:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting Message-ID: <20060212223731.VFXO5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Ayup!! > > From: "Bob Bernstein" > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun PM 05:30:15 EST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life." > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting > > > On Sun, February 12, 2006 4:06 pm, Stan Klein, Sr. said: > > > Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. > > Kewl, huh? > > -- > Bob Bernstein > > To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, > Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: > To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, > That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; > > Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Sun Feb 12 18:13:27 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:14:55 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting In-Reply-To: <35452.70.172.219.12.1139783415.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <200602122313.k1CNDSlK010578@oasis.novia.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:30:15 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >On Sun, February 12, 2006 4:06 pm, Stan Klein, Sr. said: >> Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. >Kewl, huh? Is that because to be stirring the pot she has to be in the kitchen, or because she has reappeared from the either, or . . . ? From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 12 18:20:31 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:21:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting In-Reply-To: <200602122313.k1CNDSlK010578@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <0IUL00LFJKUEBPA1@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:13:27 -0600, Mike Riddle wrote: >On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 17:30:15 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: > >>On Sun, February 12, 2006 4:06 pm, Stan Klein, Sr. said: > >>> Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. > >>Kewl, huh? > >Is that because to be stirring the pot she has to be in the kitchen, or >because she has reappeared from the either, or . . . ? Hey, I'm happy that she chimes in every once in awhile! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From operagost at operagost.com Sun Feb 12 18:25:32 2006 From: operagost at operagost.com (Stephen Eickhoff) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:26:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 24, Issue 27 In-Reply-To: <200602122321.k1CNLvVc027049@mailman.jtan.com> References: <200602122321.k1CNLvVc027049@mailman.jtan.com> Message-ID: <43EFC3EC.2070508@operagost.com> ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:06:23 -0500 From: "Stan Klein, Sr." Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, and life." Message-ID: <20060212210623.JETP8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. Another top-posting infidel! > > > > From: Kari Jackson > > > > Which is exactly the attitude which will never have the slightest > > hope of convincing anyone of anything (except your immaturity). > > > > At 2/12/2006 02:55 PM, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: > > >> > >OK so Im now bottom posting and my claim was that Democrat and Dumb >> > >were interchangable. > > From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 18:32:18 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:34:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 Message-ID: <20060212233247.DQAE15695.fed1rmmtao01.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> I am being immature..I admit it....we can't take life to seriously it's only temporary. -Patrick > > From: Kari Jackson > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun PM 12:59:58 PST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, and life." > > CC: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, and life." > > Subject: Re: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, > Issue 46 > > Which is exactly the attitude which will never have the slightest > hope of convincing anyone of anything (except your immaturity). > > At 2/12/2006 02:55 PM, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: > > >OK so Im now bottom posting and my claim was that Democrat and Dumb > >were interchangable. > > Kari Jackson > White Plains, NY > > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 18:33:42 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:42:55 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting Message-ID: <20060212233350.XCHJ6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Bottom posters are bottom dwellers > > From: "Stan Klein, Sr." > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun PM 01:06:23 PST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life." > Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting > > Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. > > > > From: Kari Jackson > > > > Which is exactly the attitude which will never have the slightest > > hope of convincing anyone of anything (except your immaturity). > > > > At 2/12/2006 02:55 PM, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: > > > > >OK so Im now bottom posting and my claim was that Democrat and Dumb > > >were interchangable. > > > > > Stan Klein, Sr. > Homeless, live in a truck > Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > Death to Topposters From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 12 18:45:16 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:43:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <20060212233247.DQAE15695.fed1rmmtao01.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060212233247.DQAE15695.fed1rmmtao01.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602121845.16507.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: | I am being immature..I admit it....we can't take life to seriously | it's only temporary. -Patrick even more so for top posters. -- dep Instead of invading the family with the blundering bureaucracy that mismanages the public services, it would be far more philosophical to work the reform the other way round. -- G. K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 12 18:46:59 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:45:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting In-Reply-To: <200602122313.k1CNDSlK010578@oasis.novia.net> References: <200602122313.k1CNDSlK010578@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <200602121847.00055.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Mike Riddle: | Is that because to be stirring the pot she has to be in the kitchen, | or because she has reappeared from the either, or . . . ? a punctuational nit: it should be "from the either/or . . . ?" -- dep What is called matriarchy is simply moral anarchy, in which the mother alone remains fixed because all the fathers are fugitive and irresponsible. -- G. K. Chesterton From drepouille at hotmail.com Sun Feb 12 18:45:21 2006 From: drepouille at hotmail.com (Dana Repouille) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:50:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <20060212233247.DQAE15695.fed1rmmtao01.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: Ad hominem never makes a good argument -- not even an interesting argument. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Sun Feb 12 18:53:51 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:54:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting In-Reply-To: <200602121847.00055.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602122353.k1CNrpKX022217@oasis.novia.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:46:59 -0500, dep wrote: >quoth Mike Riddle: >| Is that because to be stirring the pot she has to be in the kitchen, >| or because she has reappeared from the either, or . . . ? >a punctuational nit: it should be "from the either/or . . . ?" More likely "from the ether...?" From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 18:56:26 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:58:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 Message-ID: <20060212235541.VJCT17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > > From: "Dana Repouille" > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun PM 03:45:21 PST > To: "'Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life.'" > Subject: RE: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, > Issue 46 > > Ad hominem never makes a good argument -- not even an interesting argument. > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > Agrreed on that....now where are we again? From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 18:56:20 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 18:58:58 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 Message-ID: <20060212235638.KAQC20875.fed1rmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > > From: "Dana Repouille" > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun PM 03:45:21 PST > To: "'Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life.'" > Subject: RE: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, > Issue 46 > > Ad hominem never makes a good argument -- not even an interesting argument. > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > Agrreed on that....now where are we again? From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 12 18:17:52 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 12 19:03:57 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting Message-ID: <20060212231619.DXVY17437.fed1rmmtao12.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Bottom posters are bottom dwellers > > From: "Stan Klein, Sr." > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun PM 02:37:30 PST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life." > Subject: Re: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting > > Ayup!! > > > > From: "Bob Bernstein" > > Date: 2006/02/12 Sun PM 05:30:15 EST > > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > > and life." > > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting > > > > > > On Sun, February 12, 2006 4:06 pm, Stan Klein, Sr. said: > > > > > Rut Roh!!! Kari is stiring the cauldron. > > > > Kewl, huh? > > > > -- > > Bob Bernstein > > > > To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, > > Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: > > To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, > > That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; > > > > Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > > > > Stan Klein, Sr. > Homeless, live in a truck > Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > Death to topposters From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 12 19:04:15 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sun Feb 12 19:05:04 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: abandoned reptile carcasses (was something else) In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <200602121904.15906.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Dana Repouille: | Ad hominem never makes a good argument -- not even an interesting | argument. sure it does. read mark twain's "journamism in tennessee." http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1562/ an excerpt: I took the manuscript. It was scarred with erasures and interlineations till its mother wouldn't have known it if it had had one. It now read as follows: SPIRIT OF THE TENNESSEE PRESS The inveterate liars of the Semi-Weekly Earthquake are evidently endeavoring to palm off upon a noble and chivalrous people another of their vile and brutal falsehoods with regard to that most glorious conception of the nineteenth century, the Ballyhack railroad. The idea that Buzzardville was to be left off at one side originated in their own fulsome brains--or rather in the settlings which they regard as brains. They had better, swallow this lie if they want to save their abandoned reptile carcasses the cowhiding they so richly deserve. That ass, Blossom, of the Higginsville Thunderbolt and Battle Cry of Freedom, is down here again sponging at the Van Buren. We observe that the besotted blackguard of the Mud Springs Morning Howl is giving out, with his usual propensity for lying, that Van Werter is not elected. The heaven-born mission of journalism is to disseminate truth; to eradicate error; to educate, refine, and elevate the tone of public morals and manners, and make all men more gentle, more virtuous, more charitable, and in all ways better, and holier, and happier; and yet this blackhearted scoundrel degrades his great office persistently to the dissemination of falsehood, calumny, vituperation, and vulgarity. Blathersville wants a Nicholson pavement--it wants a jail and a poorhouse more. The idea of a pavement in a one-horse town composed of two gin-mills, a blacksmith shop, and that mustard-plaster of a newspaper, the Daily Hurrah! The crawling insect, Buckner, who edits the Hurrah, is braying about his business with his customary imbecility, and imagining that he is talking sense. "Now that is the way to write--peppery and to the point. Mush-and-milk journalism gives me the fan-tods." -- dep It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong. -- G. K. Chesterton From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 12 19:10:03 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 12 19:10:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: os2-right-stuff-l Digest, Vol 23, Issue 46 In-Reply-To: <20060212233247.DQAE15695.fed1rmmtao01.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <0IUL0033MN4QVAT6@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:32:18 -0800, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: >we can't take life to seriously it's only temporary. You got that right!!! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 12 19:18:13 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 12 19:18:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: abandoned reptile carcasses (was something else) In-Reply-To: <200602121904.15906.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IUL006NFNIDQ888@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 19:04:15 -0500, dep wrote: >sure it does. read mark twain's "journamism in tennessee." > >http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1562/ > >an excerpt: > >I took the manuscript. It was scarred with erasures and interlineations >till its mother wouldn't have known it if it had had one. It now read as >follows: Isn't this what I was talking about previously in reference to the discussed paragraph from "The Kite Runner"? Don't worry about truth in journalism, just worry about paying for the journalism... Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 12 20:03:23 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 12 20:03:57 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting In-Reply-To: <20060212231619.DXVY17437.fed1rmmtao12.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <0IUL00EZDPLLCPK7@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:17:52 -0800, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: >Bottom posters are bottom dwellers A plague on both your houses!!! In my opinion, if anything is to be quoted upon, it should follow in context. And all stuff which is not pertinent should be exorcised. When you analyze my above statement, it comes down to... If the subject covers it, delete all else! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From m.o.davis at gte.net Sun Feb 12 21:14:57 2006 From: m.o.davis at gte.net (Mark Davis) Date: Sun Feb 12 21:15:59 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Men and women Message-ID: Found on usenet. Not sure of the validity of the attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------- WOMEN SPEAK IN ESTROGEN AND MEN LISTEN IN TESTOSTERONE ====================================================== by Matt Groening ................ RELATIONSHIPS: When a relationship ends, a woman will cry and pour her heart out to her girlfriends, and she will write a poem titled "All Men Are Idiots". Then she will get on with her life. A man has a little more trouble letting go. Six months after the break-up, at 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday night, he will call and say, "I just wanted to let you know you ruined my life, and I'll never forgive you, and I hate you, and you're a total floozy. But I want you to know that there's always a chance for us." This is known as the "I Hate You / I Love You" drunken phone call, and 99% of all men have made at least once. There are community colleges that offer courses to help men get over this need. SEX: Women prefer 30-40 minutes of foreplay. Men prefer 30-40 seconds of foreplay. Men consider driving back to her place as part of the foreplay. MATURITY: Women mature much faster than men. Most 17-year old females can function as adults. Most 17-year old males are still trading baseball cards and giving each other wedgies after gym class. This is why high school romances rarely work out. MAGAZINES: Men's magazines often feature pictures of naked women. Women's magazines also feature pictures of naked women. This is because the female body is a beautiful work of art, while the male body is lumpy and hairy and should not be seen by the light of day. Men are turned on at the sight of a naked woman's body. Most naked men elicit laughter from women. HANDWRITING: To their credit, men do not decorate their penmanship. They just chicken-scratch. Women use scented, colored stationery and they dot their "i's" with circles and hearts. Women use ridiculously large loops in their "p's" and "g's". It is a royal pain to read a note from a woman. Even when she's dumping you, she'll put a smiley face at the end of the note!!! BATHROOMS: A man has six items in his bathroom-a toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of Dial soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items. GROCERIES: A woman makes a list of things she needs and then goes out to the store and buys these things. A man waits till the only items left in his fridge are half a lime and a beer. Then he goes grocery shopping. He buys everything that looks good. By the time a man reaches the checkout counter, his cart is packed tighter than the Clampett's car on Beverly Hillbillies. Of course, this will not stop him from going to the 10-items-or-less lane. CATS: Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats. LAUNDRY: Women do laundry every couple of days. A man will wear every article of clothing he owns, including his surgical pants that were hip about eight years ago, before he will do his laundry. When he is finally out of clothes, he will wear a dirty sweatshirt inside out, rent a U-Haul and take his mountain of clothes to the laundromat. Men always expect to meet beautiful women at the laundromat. This is a myth perpetuated by re-runs of old episodes of "Love, American Style." THE TELEPHONE: Men see the telephone as a communication tool. They use the telephone to send short messages to other people. A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours. RICHARD GERE: Women like Richard Gere because he is sexy in a dangerous way. Men hate Richard Gere because he reminds them of that slick guy who works at the health club and dates only married women. MADONNA: Same as above, but reversed. Same reason. LOCKER ROOMS: In the locker room men talk about three things: money, football, and women. They exaggerate about money, they don't know football nearly as well as they think they do, and they fabricate stories about women. Women talk about one thing in the locker-sex. And not in abstract terms, either. They are extremely graphic and technical, and they never lie. MOVIES: Every actress in the history of movies has had to do a nude scene. This is because every movie in the history of movies has been produced by a man. The only actor who has ever appeared nude in the movies is Richard Gere. This is another reason why men hate him. TIME: When a woman says she'll be ready to go out in five more minutes, she's using the same meaning of time as when a man says the football game just has five minutes left. Neither of them is counting time outs, commercials, or replays. FRIENDS: Women on a girl's night out talk the whole time. Men on a boy's night out say about twenty words all night, most of which are "Pass the Doritos or Got any more beer?" RESTROOMS: Men use restrooms for purely biological reasons. Women use restrooms as social lounges. Men in a restrooms will never speak a word to each other. Women who've never met will leave a restroom giggling together like old friends. And never in the history of the world has a man excused himself from a restaurant table by saying, "Hey, Tom, I was just about to take a leak. Do you want to join me?" -- Mark Davis San Angelo, TX From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Mon Feb 13 01:21:39 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 13 01:22:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] But, on the other hand... Message-ID: <43F02573.9040604@bernstein.providence.ri.us> The Wall Street Journal Executive Power on Steroids By RICHARD A. EPSTEIN February 13, 2006; Page A16 President Bush's domestic surveillance program against al Qaeda has spawned multiple controversies. Intelligence skeptics ask, for example, whether the potential gains from snooping are worth the hassle. Civil libertarians doubt whether the warrantless surveillance and wiretaps can be squared with the Fourth Amendment. On both these disputes, my sympathies run with the president. I support his efforts to renew the Patriot Act; and I believe our first order of business should be to retool the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to meet the challenges of modern communications technology. Yet the key legal struggles over domestic spying go not to its wisdom, but to the thorny issue of whether the president has exceeded his constitutional powers in disregarding FISA. He has. The Constitution gives Congress the power to set policy; it gives to the president the right, and the duty, to execute it. The president claims first that he has secured the needed congressional blessing for the NSA's domestic surveillance through the Authorization of Use of Military Force Act, passed in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. Not so. AUMF does not contain one word that dislodges FISA, and the law disfavors any "implied repeal" of major legislation. Right now, the president can both hound al Qaeda and follow FISA requirements for domestic warrants. If he wants to go further, he should seek explicit congressional authorization. The administration's more aggressive claim is that an "inherent commander in chief power" lets the president act on his own. To see why this claim fails, it is critical to set out -- they're short -- the precise provisions that implement the constitutional separation of powers in matters of war and peace. First off, the Constitution gives the Congress the power "to declare" war. Next, only Congress can appropriate the funds to operate the land and naval forces. Most critically for the spying dispute, Congress has the explicit power "to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces." It has similar powers for setting the standards (or "discipline") for the state militia. Congress's power applies in both peace and wartime, and is subject to no express limitations on the nature and content of its general rules. On the other side of the ledger, "[t]he President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia when called into actual service of the United States." Note the word "power" appears no where in this sentence. The operative verb is "shall be." The choice of words is not inadvertent. Later in the same section the Constitution provides that the president "shall have the Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment," and the "Power, by and with the Advice and consent of the Senate to make Treaties." Elsewhere the president shall "receive" ambassadors and "require" reports from his subordinates. Words matter. Only powers allow for a change in legal status of the persons over whom some power is directed. Thus the president's power to grant reprieves and pardons is rightly described as "plenary," precisely because Congress has no stated power to hedge it in by legislation, for example by declaring certain offenses unpardonable. The president's power to make treaties is likewise plenary, but now subject to the explicit check of Senatorial advice and consent. At no time, however, can Congress send its own delegation off to negotiate with Iraq. So understood, subtly adding in some "inherent commander in chief power" upsets a carefully wrought constitutional balance. Let the president have plenary power over military affairs, then it becomes an inevitable political tussle over whether his inherent power is stronger than Congress's stated one. But why twist accurate constitutional language to make a shambles of our basic governance structure? Congress gets to set the general rules governing military efforts. The Constitution does not confer the identical power on the president. This view does not reduce the commander-in chief-clause to some ceremonial nullity; rather, it has four critical functions. First, it guarantees the civilian control over the military. Second, Congress cannot circumvent the president's position as commander in chief by assigning any of his responsibilities to anyone else. Only the president can execute any laws that Congress puts in place, and all inferior military officers from the Joint Chiefs of Staff on down answer only to him. Third, the Congress is barred from making any specific order on military matters once it lays down the rules. It cannot micromanage the military, nor put inferior military personnel in the impossible position of deciding whose commands to follow, or why. Fourth, the president, like any inferior military commander, can respond on his own initiative to an immediate attack, without congressional authorization. The president's defenders insist that any gap in his power is filled because the Constitution provides that the president "shall take Care that the laws be faithfully executed." But this clause cuts in exactly the opposite direction. FISA is one law that the president must "take care" to enforce: He cannot choose to flout or ignore it, even if he has wide discretion in how to implement it. Nor can the president obviate the need for legislation by making selective disclosures of his activities to certain members of Congress whom he then subjects to a vow of secrecy. Our constitutional structure of checks and balances is not subject to unilateral presidential circumvention by ad hoc procedures. The precise detailed enumeration of powers and responsibilities in Article II just do not confer on the president a roving commission over foreign and military affairs. He is a coordinate player, not a dominant one. So who cares about these close textual and formal arguments? We all do, or should. The major danger with presidential surveillance does not lie in this particular overreaching of executive power. It's what comes next. If President Bush can ignore FISA, then he can disregard a congressional prohibition against the use of nuclear force. His defenders often claim that national defense is too important to be left to a wobbly Congress -- which on my view might prohibit the use of live ammunition in combat. And so it could. But political forces are always in play, and no legal institutions are simultaneously robust against all forms of incompetence. As Madison reminds us, "Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." If we accept executive power on steroids, then what's to be done if a reckless president drags our nation into foolish conflicts? Over the long haul, we'll do best by sticking to the original game plan on military matters rather than rewriting the Constitution to let the president alter the rules of the game. Under our Constitution, that power belongs to Congress. May it use the power wisely. Mr. Epstein, the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago and the Peter and Kirsten Bedford Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, is the author, most recently, of "How Progressives Rewrote the Constitution" (Cato Institute, 2006). URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113980208779772206.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Mon Feb 13 01:30:04 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 13 01:31:06 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] You knew this was coming... Message-ID: <43F0276C.1000103@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Veep shoots ? and scores ? with hunting accident By Howie Carr Boston Herald Columnist Monday, February 13, 2006 Maybe Dick Cheney is going to run for president in 2008 after all. What better way to shore up his support in the GOP base than to shoot some good ole boy while hunting? Nothing serious, just a few pellets. Whatever else you can say about Dick Cheney as a vice president, he?s no Aaron Burr. Unlike Alexander Hamilton in 1804, Harry Whittington will be down for breakfast. It?s still safer to go hunting with Dick Cheney than it is to go driving with Ted Kennedy. Or to go to a hotel room with Bill Clinton for that matter. You know, maybe it?s just as well that Cheney got all those deferments during Vietnam. And now we know it?s not just his heart that?s on the fritz. What a shame that Jay Leno is off this week because of the Olympics. But look, this is just one of those occupational hazards in the boondocks. Mistaken for a quail? Hey, the Second Amendment happens. The only difference between this and most of your traditional hunting accidents is that our Elmer Fudd of a vice president isn?t related to the 78-year-old victim. How often do Monday-morning conversations in the red states begin like this: ?Y?all hear what done happened to Billy Bob yesterday? Him and his brother Jerry Jeff was out huntin?, and dad-blame if?n Billy Bob don?t mistook ole Jerry Jeff for a rabbit. Bang! Right between his beady little eyes. And the funny thang was, they was havin? a fight over their mama?s estate....? But shooting a lawyer? When Dick Cheney says he believes in tort reform, he ain?t kidding. At least he wasn?t hunting with Justice Scalia this time. Who has the stomach for another round of tedious Supreme Court hearings? This is why the Republicans keep winning elections. When it comes to great American pastimes like hunting, unlike the Democrats they?re not faking it. Remember John Kerry trying to pass himself off as a nimrod during the 2004 campaign? It wasn?t the Diebold voting machines that cost him Ohio, it was his pandering statement at that general store in late October: ?Can I get me a hunting license here?? And who can forget Liveshot?s whopper about almost bagging the 12-point deer . . . on Cape Cod! That must have been harrowing, like the time the killer rabbit tried to take out Jimmy Carter in the canoe. Think about it, though. This was the first weekend of the year with no football. Real men need a way to pass the time. John Kerry goes windsurfing. Dick Cheney shoots somebody. Can somebody say landslide in ?08? This is Mitt Romney?s excuse to jump back into the governor?s race. Everything has changed now. ?Condi Rice?? the activists will say. ?She?s OK, but when was the last time she actually . . . shot somebody?? Over at the moonbat Web sites yesterday, the conspiracy theorists were wasting no time on the Pro Bowl. They were ranting that Cheney did this to change the subject from the Abramoff-Bush photo, as if anyone but them cares. Or maybe he mistook the lawyer for Scooter Libby. Dead men tell no tales. Why, the woman who owns the ranch was a director of Halliburton, and she?s a Cox, and that?s Big Media, and they want to defund Bill Moyers and NPR . . . . It was, as someone noted, as if the punch bowl at the local insane asylum had been spiked with LSD. But at least it?ll give Michael Moore a project for the year ? maybe he can call his new film Harry and Me, or Fahrenheit double-aught. And somewhere, somebody must be printing up new bumper stickers: ?Ted Kennedy?s Oldsmobile Has Killed More People than Dick Cheney?s Shotgun.? -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Mon Feb 13 02:01:49 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 13 02:02:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Coming to Alexandria soon. Message-ID: <43F02EDD.3070308@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Busy news day, huh? -=snip=- Big Impact Seen In Israel Spy Case BY JOSH GERSTEIN - Staff Reporter of the Sun February 13, 2006 URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/27429 Lawyers for two former pro-Israel lobbyists under indictment for leaking classified information have denounced the prosecution as an assault on the First Amendment and warned that a vast array of policy advocates and journalists could be in jeopardy if the case goes forward. The two lobbyists, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, were fired from their jobs at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee last year as the probe unfolded. A former Pentagon official charged with providing classified information to the pair, Lawrence Franklin, is cooperating with prosecutors after pleading guilty. He was sentenced last month to more than 12 years in prison. In a brief filed in January and released last week, the lawyers for Messrs. Rosen and Weissman argue that the statute barring unauthorized release of classified material has never been applied to private citizens. "The breathtaking application of that law to this set of facts breaks new legal ground," the defense team wrote. "There has never been a successful prosecution of an alleged leak by persons outside government persons with no contractual or legal obligation to preserve classified information." Messrs. Rosen and Weissman are scheduled to go on trial in federal court in Alexandria, Va., on April 25. The indictment charges that they received classified information from Franklin and other officials, and passed that data on to members of the press and agents of a foreign government. Prosecutors have not offered a public description of the information that was allegedly relayed, nor have they disclosed which reporters or foreign agents were allegedly involved. However, Franklin was the Iran desk officer at the Defense Department and some of the data he has admitted to passing on appear to have pertained to Iranian influence in Iraq. The foreign diplomats who received classified information in the alleged scheme appear to have been Israelis. In court papers asking that the charges be dismissed, the defense lawyers argue that the prosecution is attempting to criminalize the traditional give and take of information between lobbyists, journalists, and government officials. "This is what members of the media, members of the Washington policy community, lobbyists and members of congressional staffs do perhaps hundreds of times every day," the lawyers wrote. "The exchange of information between members of the government and non-governmental organizations is precisely what policy lobbying (as well as everyday news reporting) is all about." The prosecution's response to the motion was filed late last month, but has not yet been made public. In an unusual arrangement, most papers filed in the case remain secret for a time while they are reviewed for classified information. In an interview yesterday, Mr. Weissman's attorney, John Nassikas III, said the prosecution should be of concern to all those who play a role in Washington policy debates. "Hopefully, there will be some resonance out in the community over this," the lawyer said. "We think that the government prosecution is off-base and we're challenging in every way, legally and factually." However, Mr. Nassikas acknowledged that the defense may face an uphill battle in trying to convince Judge Thomas Ellis III, who is presiding over the case, that the prosecution would inhibit the free exchange of ideas and information vital to American democracy. At Franklin's sentencing last month, the judge expressed no qualms about punishing journalists or others who wind up with classified information and pass it on. "Persons who have unauthorized possession, who come into unauthorized possession of classified information, must abide by the law," Judge Ellis said in remarks first reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "That applies to academics, lawyers, journalists, professors, whatever." The brief filed on behalf of Messrs. Rosen and Weissman was co-authored by a conservative Georgetown University law professor and former Justice Department official, Viet Dinh. Mr. Dinh's opposition to the department's stance in this case is notable because he has generally supported aggressive prosecution tactics and was an architect of the 2001 law that broadened the government's anti-terrorism powers, the USA-PATRIOT Act. "He's obviously an expert on constitutional law issues, and there have been a lot of constitutional law flaws in the government's application of this statute," Mr. Nassikas said. He said Mr. Dinh was enlisted by Mr. Rosen's attorney, Abbe Lowell. Messrs. Lowell and Dinh did not return calls yesterday seeking comment for this story. The case has drawn criticism from some Jewish activists as well as a journalists' group, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which has sought to file an amicus brief on behalf of the two ex-lobbyists. Legal analysts often distinguish the American legal system's approach toward breaches of classified information from the tack taken in Britain, where the country's Official Secrets Act can be used to prosecute and silence journalists and ordinary citizens who come into possession of sensitive information. In America, there have been repeated, but unsuccessful, efforts to pass a similar statute that would criminalize all leaks of classified information regardless of the harm caused or the intent or identity of the leaker. In 2000, President Clinton vetoed legislation that would have made the release of any classified information a crime. "It would be fundamentally unfair for the Justice Department to usurp the province of Congress and create some type of Official Secrets Act through the prosecution of a test case," the defense team argued in their brief. The brief also quotes a prominent federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, about the perils of bringing criminal charges in connection with leaks of classified information. "You should be very careful in applying that law because there are a lot of interests that could be implicated," Mr. Fitzgerald said at a press conference last year discussing his decision not to charge a White House aide, I. Lewis Libby, with leaking a CIA officer's identity. Mr. Libby, who has pleaded not guilty, was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in the probe. Details of the defense filing were first reported by an online newsletter, Secrecy News, which is published by the Federation of American Scientists. Mr. Nassikas declined to say yesterday whether he plans to call journalists as witnesses, an effort which could prompt further legal confrontations. "Neither side has indicated what witnesses will be called at this point. It's clear there are reporters involved in the facts of the case," the attorney said. In recent months, Messrs. Rosen and Weissman have been at odds with their former employer, Aipac, over payment of legal fees in the case. "That is not resolved," Mr. Nassikas said. He said Mr. Weissman plans to launch a legal defense fund this week to cover costs that Aipac has declined to pick up. Efforts to reach an Aipac spokesman last night were unsuccessful. -=snip=- -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From paul.lewis at quadensemble.co.uk Mon Feb 13 13:18:36 2006 From: paul.lewis at quadensemble.co.uk (Paul Lewis) Date: Mon Feb 13 13:19:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] For information only - Please do not take offence Message-ID: <1139854716l.6039l.0l@karachi> One of my very favorite topical urls http://www.glumbert.com/media/rave.html From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Mon Feb 13 17:16:01 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 13 17:17:16 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Brokeback to the Future Message-ID: <20060213221607.CCRP8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== Pretty darned funny. http://www.youtube.com/w/Brokeback-to-the-Future?v=zfODSPIYwpQ&search=brokeback%20to%20the%20future ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From spmaiorca at cox.net Mon Feb 13 17:15:50 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Mon Feb 13 17:19:16 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again!] Message-ID: <20060213221448.FWOE26964.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > > From: "Teresa A. Polychronis" > Date: 2006/02/13 Mon AM 11:48:06 PST > To: , , > , , > "Orthodoxia" > Subject: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again! > > From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 13 17:44:36 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 13 17:43:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again!] In-Reply-To: <20060213221448.FWOE26964.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060213221448.FWOE26964.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602131744.36738.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: | > From: "Teresa A. Polychronis" | > Date: 2006/02/13 Mon AM 11:48:06 PST | > To: , | > , | > , | > , "Orthodoxia" | > | > Subject: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again! i believe that what you're doing here it cutting out the useless part -- then sending it to us. an honest mistake, but i wouldn't send you out for clams. -- dep I do not compare marriage with war, but I do compare marriage with law or liberty or patriotism or popular government, or any of the human ideals which have often to be defended by war. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Mon Feb 13 18:04:08 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Mon Feb 13 18:07:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again!] Message-ID: <20060213230417.PDVJ6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> ----- Original Message ----- From: webmaster@orthodoxnet.com To: news@orthodoxnet.com Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 1:59 PM Subject: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again! Gore is a TRAITOR!!!! He is lying with impunity and shamelessness. He disgusts me! The damage this will cause to the peace process in the Middle East is immense. More people will die as a result of these types of unsubstantiated and completely made up comments. Truly pathetic. Reminds me of the kind of propaganda and continuous lies and deception I grew up with under communism. No difference whatsoever! Chris [Banescu] Gore Laments U.S. 'Abuses' Against Arabs Feb 12, 2006 - 9:08 PM US/Eastern By JIM KRANE Associated Press Writer JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia Former Vice President Al Gore told a mainly Saudi audience on Sunday that the U.S. government committed "terrible abuses" against Arabs after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that most Americans did not support such treatment. Gore said Arabs had been "indiscriminately rounded up" and held in "unforgivable" conditions. The former vice president said the Bush administration was playing into al-Qaida's hands by routinely blocking Saudi visa applications. "The thoughtless way in which visas are now handled, that is a mistake," Gore said during the Jiddah Economic Forum. "The worst thing we can possibly do is to cut off the channels of friendship and mutual understanding between Saudi Arabia and the United States." Gore told the largely Saudi audience, many of them educated at U.S. universities, that Arabs in the United States had been "indiscriminately rounded up, often on minor charges of overstaying a visa or not having a green card in proper order, and held in conditions that were just unforgivable." "Unfortunately there have been terrible abuses and it's wrong," Gore said. "I do want you to know that it does not represent the desires or wishes or feelings of the majority of the citizens of my country." On Iran, Gore complained of "endemic hyper-corruption" among Tehran's religious and political elite and asked Arabs to take a stand against Iran's nuclear program. Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes but the United States and other Western countries suspect Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. "Is it only for the West to say this is dangerous?" Gore asked. "We should have more people in this region saying this is dangerous." Several audience members criticized the United States for what they described as "unconditional" U.S. support for Israel, saying U.S. diplomats helped Israel flout U.N. resolutions that they enforced when the measures targeted Arabs. Gore refused to be drawn into questions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "We can't solve that long conflict in exchanges here," Gore said. Also at the forum, the vice chairman of Chevron Corp., Peter Robertson, said President Bush's desire to cut U.S. dependence on Mideast oil shows a "misunderstanding" of global energy supply and the critical role of Saudi Arabia. In his State of the Union address this month, Bush pledged to cut U.S. dependence on Middle East oil by 75 percent by 2025. "This notion of being energy independent is completely unreasonable," Robertson said at the economic forum, which opened Saturday. "I believe Middle Eastern oil can and must play a certain role in the system," Robertson said. "Saudi Arabia's massive resources will continue to promote international energy security and serve as a moderating force in balancing supply and demand." Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, made a plea at the forum for women's rights, telling Saudi leaders that the dearth of women in the work force was "undermining economic potential" of the kingdom. Irish President Mary McAleese urged Saudi Arabia to learn from Ireland's economic transformation, which hinged on opening the country to the outside world and ushering women into the workplace. From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 13 18:17:28 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 13 18:18:15 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again!] In-Reply-To: <20060213230417.PDVJ6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <0IUN002IGFDAVEM0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:04:08 -0800, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: >Gore is a TRAITOR!!!! He is lying with impunity and shamelessness. He disgusts me! The damage this will cause to the peace process in the Middle East is immense. More people will die as a result of these types of unsubstantiated and completely made up comments. Truly pathetic. Reminds me of the kind of propaganda and continuous lies and deception I grew up with under communism. No difference whatsoever! I agree with all of this paragraph except the first sentence. Kerry is/was a traitor; Gore is just a simple fool. My heartfelt sympathies to Tipper and the media... Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 13 18:59:49 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 13 19:09:18 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Evening News? Message-ID: <0IUN001WAHBNM7U1@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> I have just been watching Brit Hume's show. I have an observation: On the Katrina report: I am flabbergasted how Homeland Security is totally dissed, along with all federal agencies with no mention of any good guys. The Coast Guard is part of HSD and was there immediately behind the storm. The navy had ships there before the LA governor could decide who she could blame. Now, there are a lot of hits on the government that are well deserved. These are mostly on government employees who have a "GS" in their title. In my experience with government, this is where the dead wood goes to rot. If one of these rotters rises to the level of command, then a disaster is probable. Again, look at what cream rose to the surface during the Katrina episode - it wasn't the mayor, nor was it the governor. It was the general who came in and took charge. Summation: Bureaucrats are no good in an emergency; call in the cavalry!!! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 13 20:01:32 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 13 20:00:17 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again!] In-Reply-To: <0IUN002IGFDAVEM0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IUN002IGFDAVEM0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602132001.33060.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Jerry Prather: | On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:04:08 -0800, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: | >Gore is a TRAITOR!!!! He is lying with impunity and shamelessness. | > He disgusts me! The damage this will cause to the peace process in | > the Middle East is immense. More people will die as a result of | > these types of unsubstantiated and completely made up comments. | > Truly pathetic. Reminds me of the kind of propaganda and | > continuous lies and deception I grew up with under communism. No | > difference whatsoever! | | I agree with all of this paragraph except the first sentence. | Kerry is/was a traitor; Gore is just a simple fool. My | heartfelt sympathies to Tipper and the media... he's two, two, two reprehensible types in one: stupid, but with a sparkling drop of treason. and were there justice, he would be tried, convicted, and hanged for his anti-u.s. remarks overseas. -- dep >From time to time, as we all know, a sect appears in our midst announcing that the world will very soon come to an end. Generally, by some slight confusion or miscalculation, it is the sect that comes to an end. -- G.K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 13 20:04:17 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 13 20:03:17 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor =?iso-8859-1?q?once=09Again!=5D?= In-Reply-To: <20060213230417.PDVJ6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060213230417.PDVJ6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602132004.17988.dep@drippingwithirony.com> http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/2/13/182926.shtml?s=ic The Saudi Arabia seminar that was addressed by former Vice President Al Gore over the weekend in a speech that criticized the U.S. for being too tough on Arabs was sponsored, in part, by Osama bin Laden's family. On Saturday, the state-run Saudi news outlet Arab News reported that the Jeddah Economic Forum, where Gore spoke, was funded by "Saudi Arabian Airlines, the Saudi Binladin Group, Gulf One Investment Bank, Saudi Basic Industries Corp." and an array of other big companies with ties to the Middle East. The Saudi BinLadin Group - which is Saudi Arabia's largest construction company - is run by Osama bin Laden's brothers and cousins. Jeddah, the site of the forum attended by Gore, is Osama bin Laden's hometown. Although family members claim they've disowned bin Laden, his mother told reporters after the 9/11 attacks that she received advanced warning from him that something big was about to happen. . . . -- dep It's not that we don't have enough scoundrels to curse; it's that we don't have enough good men to curse them. -- G. K. Chesterton From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 13 20:12:18 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 13 20:13:17 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitoronce Again!] In-Reply-To: <200602132004.17988.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IUN0059VKOG5A72@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:04:17 -0500, dep wrote: >The Saudi Arabia seminar that was addressed by former Vice President Al >Gore over the weekend in a speech that criticized the U.S. for being >too tough on Arabs was sponsored, in part, by Osama bin Laden's family. Gore is so unconscious. John Gibson was right tonight when he labeled Gore as thinking that he is President instead of just being a wanna-be. Why do the Democrats have so many players with so many fouls that they need to be benched??? Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 13 21:06:19 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 13 21:07:19 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again!] In-Reply-To: <200602132001.33060.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IUN006YZN6NAH41@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:01:32 -0500, dep wrote: >he's two, two, two reprehensible types in one: stupid, but with a >sparkling drop of treason. and were there justice, he would be tried, >convicted, and hanged for his anti-u.s. remarks overseas. I'm sorry, but I totally disagree with your priorities. Kerry first!!! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 13 21:22:35 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 13 21:21:19 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor once Again!] In-Reply-To: <0IUN006YZN6NAH41@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IUN006YZN6NAH41@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602132122.35834.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Jerry Prather: | On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 20:01:32 -0500, dep wrote: | >he's two, two, two reprehensible types in one: stupid, but with a | >sparkling drop of treason. and were there justice, he would be | > tried, convicted, and hanged for his anti-u.s. remarks overseas. | | I'm sorry, but I totally disagree with your priorities. Kerry | first!!! a budget big enough to rebuild cities for those who want to live at the bottom of an empty pond is big enough to afford two ropes. -- dep What life and death may be to a turkey is not my business; but the soul of Scrooge and the body of Cratchit are my business. -- G. K. Chesterton From sweeks1951 at netzero.net Mon Feb 13 22:36:37 2006 From: sweeks1951 at netzero.net (Steve Weeks) Date: Mon Feb 13 22:38:20 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: Bottom Posting vs Top Posting In-Reply-To: <200602121847.00055.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: Hah - a punctuational nit: it should be "from the either/or . . . ?" -- dep Hah! From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 13 23:09:18 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 13 23:08:21 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] look at this Message-ID: <200602132309.18078.dep@drippingwithirony.com> http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/llevrok/FUN/47628082_F_tn.jpg -- dep Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Tue Feb 14 01:48:40 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Tue Feb 14 01:57:29 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Cuban Memorial Honors Castro's Victims Message-ID: <20060214065400.UKVP26964.fed1rmmtao08.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> But you'll never read about it in liberal press HE http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=12379 Cuban Memorial Honors Castro's Victims by Humberto Fontova Posted Feb , 2006 You'll often find people with itchy noses and red-rimmed eyes ambling amidst the long rows of white crosses at Tamiami Park on Coral Way and 107 Avenue in Miami. It's a mini-Arlington cemetery called the Cuban Memorial, in honor of Castro's murder victims and those who fell trying to free Cuba from the murderous barbarism he imposed with his Soviet overlords while "The Best and Brightest" dithered, bumbled and finally betrayed. But the tombs are symbolic. Most of the bodies still lie in mass graves dug by bulldozers on the orders of Ted Turner's fishing buddy, Harry Belafonte's bosom pal and Barbara Walter's favored dinner companion. Never heard of this Cuban Memorial in the mainstream media? Well, it honors the tens of thousands of Fidel Castro's and Che Guevara's victims (many of them U.S citizens, by the way). Need I say more about the media blackout? ... I didn't think so. Some of these Cuban Memorial visitors will be kneeling, others walking slowly, looking for a name. You remember a similar scene from the opening frames of Saving Private Ryan. Many clutch rosaries. Many of the ladies will be pressing their faces into the breast of a relative who drove them there, a relative who wraps his arms around her spastically heaving shoulders. Try as he might not to cry himself, he usually finds that the sobs wracking his mother, grandmother or aunt are contagious. Yet he's often too young to remember the face of his martyred uncle, father, or cousin -- the name they just recognized on the white cross. "Fusilado" -- firing squad execution -- it says below it. These total 14,000, all at the orders of the man being swamped and feted by U.S. trade delegations from Louisiana to Nebraska to Maine. Even many of the older men walking among these crosses will be red-eyed, choked up. No denying it, we're an emotional people. And not ashamed to show it, at the proper time. The elderly lady still holds a tissue to her eyes and nose as they wait to cross the street after leaving the memorial. Her red-eyed grandson still has his arm around her. She told him about how his freedom-fighter grandfather yelled "Viva Cuba Libre!" and "Viva Cristo Rey!" the instant before the volley shattered his body. They cross the street slowly, silently and run into a dreadlocked youth coming out of a music store. His T-shirt sports the face of her husband's cowardly executioner, Che Guevara. They turn their heads in rage and toward the store window. Well, there's the murderer's face again, on a huge poster, $19.95 it says at the bottom, right next to the inscription, "Fight Oppression!" You, friends, tell me how she might feel? Another woman will go home after placing flowers under her father's cross -- a father she never knew. "Killed in action, Bay of Pigs, April 18th, 1961" reads the inscription on his cross. She was 2 at the time. "We will not be evacuated!" yelled her father's commander into his radio that day, as 41,000 Red Troops and swarms of Stalin tanks closed the ring on her father and his 1,400 utterly abandoned Band of Brothers. "The Best and Brightest" all had important social engagements that day. "We came here to Fight!" her father's commander kept yelling at the enraged and heartsick CIA man offering to evacuate them from the doomed beachhead. "Let it end here!" was his last yell, barely audible over the deafening blasts from the storm of Soviet artillery. Her 23-year-old father -- an accountant in Cuba a year before, a dish-washer in a Miami Hotel only two months before, and now grim-faced, thirst-crazed and delirious after three days of continuous ground combat -- heard the order from his commander: "No Retreat! We Stand and Fight!" and rammed in his last clip. By then he'd long realized he'd never see his daughter's graduation. His ammo expended, and no more coming on the specific orders of "The Best and Brightest," he fell among the bodies of 100 of his Band of Brothers, after mauling his communist enemies to the score of 20 to one. "Wimps! Yes, Wimps!" the woman hears Michael Moore label her father and his Band of Brothers in one of America's best-selling books. "Crybabies too!" Again, friends, you tell me, how she might feel. Castro murdered her relatives, shattered her family and plunged a nation -- which had double Japan's per capita income in 1958, plus net immigration from Europe -- into a pesthole that repels even half-starved Haitians. He jailed, tortured and murdered more political prisoners than pre-war Hitler, and about 20 times as many as Mussolini. He asked, pleaded and finally tried to cajole the Butcher of Budapest into an obliterating nuclear strike against America. Failing there, he tried to blow up Macy's, Gimbel's, Bloomingdales and Grand Central Station with more TNT than used by Madrid subway terrorists. Yet he's hailed as "One Helluva Guy" by Ted Turner; as "Very likable, a man I regard as a friend!" by George McGovern; and "Way Too Cool!" by Bonnie Raitt, among dozens upon dozens of other accolades by dozens of other liberal scoundrels and imbeciles. Today the U.S. is his biggest food supplier. Tens of thousands of Cubans (and dozens of Americans) fought him. "We were fighting for Cuba's freedom as well as America's defense. To call us mercenaries is a grave insult," says Alabama Air guard officer Albert Persons about his and his Alabama comrades' heroism during the battle of The Bay of Pigs. The Ivy League's Best and Brightest might sell our comrades out, they snorted. We sure as hell won't. It was more than bluster, too. Four U.S. volunteers -- Pete Ray, Riley Shamburger, Leo Barker and Wade Grey -- suited up, gunned the engines and joined the fight. These were Southern boys, not pampered Ivy Leaguers, so there was no navel-gazing. They had archaic notions of right and wrong, of honor and loyalty, of who America's enemies really are. Their Cuban comrades -- men they'd trained and befriended -- were being slaughtered on that heroic beachead. Knowing their lumbering B-26s were sitting ducks for Castro's unmolested jets and Sea Furies, all four Alabama air guard volunteers flew over the doomed beachhead to lend support to their betrayed brothers in arms. All four were shot down. All four have their names in a place of honor next to their Cuban comrades on the Bay of Pigs Memorial, plus streets named after them in Little Havana, plus their crosses at the Cuban Memorial. When Doug MacArthur waded ashore on Leyte, he grabbed a radio: "People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil -- soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples." Cuban soil was similarly consecrated. "My hatred of Bolshevism and Bolsheviks is not founded on their silly system of economics or their absurd doctrine of an impossible equality," wrote Winston Churchill. "It arises from the bloody and devastating terrorism which they practice in every land into which they have broken, and by which alone their criminal regime can be maintained." Sir Winston Churchill did not loose a single family member or close friend to that "bloody and devastating terrorism." Yet to this day his every utterance and note is revered as an exemplar of judiciousness and heroism. But let a Cuban-American who lost half his family to Communist firing squads and prisons express the identical sentiment and he's promptly denounced by liberals as a "screaming, irrational hot-head!" "Disgusting!" spat Bryant Gumbel while watching Cuban-American demonstrators in front of Elian Gonzalez' uncle's house six years ago. Some very dedicated and selfless folks are holding a memorial service including a Mass and vigil at the Cuban Memorial in Miami's Tamiami Park this February 25. The service is open to the public. Attend and you'll be surrounded by a sea of crosses, many heroes and heroines, along with their surviving friends and kin. If ever a group merits a memorial service it's the heroes and heroines here honored. Even if you're not related to any of these folks, even if their story is new to you, attend and you'll honor heroes who fought America's most rabid enemy -- and you'll poke a sharp finger into the eye of the liberal media. Copyright ? 2006 HUMAN EVENTS. All Rights Reserved From spmaiorca at cox.net Tue Feb 14 04:40:44 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Tue Feb 14 04:41:29 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Fw: Gore Proves he is a Traitor =?iso-8859-1?q?once=09Again!=5D_we_should_boycott?= Chevron In-Reply-To: <200602132004.17988.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <20060213230417.PDVJ6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> <200602132004.17988.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602140140.44077.spmaiorca@cox.net> Also looking at it we should boycott Chevron It is Saudi oil money funding the Jihadist.. vice chairman of Chevron Corp., Peter Robertson, > said President Bush's desire to cut U.S. dependence on Mideast oil shows a > "misunderstanding" of global energy supply and the critical role of Saudi > Arabia. > > In his State of the Union address this month, Bush pledged to cut U.S. > dependence on Middle East oil by 75 percent by 2025. > > "This notion of being energy independent is completely unreasonable," > Robertson said at the economic forum, which opened Saturday. > > "I believe Middle Eastern oil can and must play a certain role in the > system," Robertson said. "Saudi Arabia's massive resources will continue to > promote international energy security and serve as a moderating force in > balancing supply and demand." From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Tue Feb 14 11:09:04 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Tue Feb 14 11:11:33 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Two crises Message-ID: <20060214160916.YMOE8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@enigmaster> Two crises By Thomas Sowell Feb 14, 2006 This nation is facing two crises -- one phony and one real. Both in the media and in politics, the phony crisis is getting virtually all the attention. Like the French official in "Casablanca," politicians and much of the media are shocked, shocked, to discover that the government has been listening in on calls involving international terrorist networks. Congressional leaders of both parties have in fact known this for years without saying a word. Only after the New York Times published the news and made a big noise about it have politicians begun to declare their shock. That is not the only thing that makes this big uproar phony. The same people who are going ballistic over what they spin as "domestic spying" never went ballistic over one of the most gross examples of genuine domestic spying during the Clinton years. Hundreds of raw FBI files on Republicans were sent to the Clinton White House, in violation of laws and for no higher purpose than having enough dirt on enough people to intimidate political opponents. But domestic spying against Republicans did not shock nearly as many people as intercepting phone calls from terrorists. The current hue and cry that is being whipped up into a media crisis is part of a whole pattern of short-sighted political obstruction and a futile venting of spleen. What could have been more short-sighted and petty than the Congressional Democrats holding up the official electoral college vote last year confirming the re-election of President Bush? It was the first time such a challenge was made since 1877. Democrats knew from the outset that they had no chance of preventing Bush's re-election from being confirmed in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Moreover, since he was already President, they could not even delay his taking office. It was obstruction for the sake of obstruction -- and to "do something" to appeal to the Bush-hatred of their political base. It was the same thing when the Democrats obstructed and delayed the confirmation vote on Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State and later the confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. They knew from the outset that these were just futile temper tantrums that would not affect the outcome in the slightest. One of the ugliest examples of the same mindset was painfully visible at the recent funeral of Coretta Scott King, where a solemn occasion was turned into a series of political cheap shots against a President who had come to honor the memory of Mrs. King. The truly dangerous aspect of this temper tantrum politics is its undermining the government of the United States in its dealings with foreign powers and international terrorist networks. There are nations and movements that respect only force or the threat of force. Regardless of anyone's politics, the President of the United States is the only one who can launch that force. In the early days of the Iraq war, when it was clear to all that American military force would be unleashed against our enemies, Libya suddenly agreed to abandon its nuclear program and other countries backed off their hostile stances. But when our domestic obstructionists began undermining the President and dividing the country, they were undermining the credibility of American power. North Korea's government-controlled media gave big play to Senator John Kerry's speeches against the U.S. hard line on the development of North Korean nuclear weapons. Obviously this all-out attempt to damage the President at all costs makes any threat of the use of military force less credible with the country divided. Whether President Bush will in fact use military force as a last resort to prevent an unending nightmare of nuclear weapons in the hands of Iranian fanatics and international terrorists is something only the future will tell. It would be far better if the threat of force were credible enough that actual force would not have to be used. But divisive politics have undermined the credibility of any such threat. That can narrow the choices to killing people in Iran or leaving ourselves and our posterity at the mercy of hate-filled and suicidal fanatics with nukes. That is the real crisis that is being overshadowed by the phony political crisis. Thomas Sowell is the prolific author of books such as Black Rednecks and White Liberals and Applied Economics. From prather.js at verizon.net Tue Feb 14 19:19:52 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Tue Feb 14 19:22:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] A curse for all time... Message-ID: <0IUP00J20CX5B0M2@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> If I really wanted to curse a child at birth, I would intone an incantation that he be sufficiently talented to become the White House Press Secretary. Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From prather.js at verizon.net Tue Feb 14 19:31:53 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Tue Feb 14 19:32:39 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Re: A curse for all time... Message-ID: <0IUP006LTDH2AG95@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:19:52 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >If I really wanted to curse a child at birth, I would intone an >incantation that he be sufficiently talented to become the White >House Press Secretary. I really didn't finish my curse. It should have ended with "and be dumb enough to accept the appointment." Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Tue Feb 14 19:34:17 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Tue Feb 14 19:38:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fw: President Reagan's Last Words Message-ID: <20060215003422.WUJP8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== I don't know whether or not you watched the memorial service for Ronald Reagan, BUT...... if you did, you probably noticed that Bill and Hillary were both dozing off. President Ronald Reagan, who never missed a chance for a good one-liner, raised his head out of his casket and said..... "I see the Clintons are finally sleeping together." ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 14847 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060214/ffac2cd2/attachment.jpg From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 15 02:18:44 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 15 02:18:47 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Who knew what when? Message-ID: <43F2D5D4.6030907@bernstein.providence.ri.us> The Wall Street Journal Cheney's Coverup February 15, 2006; Page A16 The press corps is outraged that the White House waited 20 hours or so to disclose that Vice President Dick Cheney had shot a hunting companion, and we can see why. Don't these Bush people understand that the coverup is worse than the crime? In the name of media solidarity, and in the interest of restraining the Imperial Presidency, we have put together the following coverup timeline with crucial questions that deserve to be answered: ? 5:30 p.m., Saturday (all times Central Standard Time). Mr. Cheney sprays Harry Whittington with birdshot, and the Secret Service immediately informs local police. Who is Harry Whittington and whom does he lobby for? Does he know Scooter Libby? ? 6:30 p.m. White House Chief of Staff Andy Card informs President Bush that there's been a hunting accident involving the Vice President's party. Did Mr. Bush ask followup questions? Was he intellectually curious? ? 7 p.m. Karl Rove tells Mr. Bush that it is Mr. Cheney who did the shooting. Why was this detail withheld for a full 30 minutes from the President? Who else did Mr. Rove talk to about this in the interim? Was Valerie Plame ever mentioned? ? 5 a.m., Sunday. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan learns that Mr. Cheney is the shooter. He also fails to alert the media. Did he rush to write talking points or fall back to sleep? ? 11 a.m. Katharine Armstrong, owner of the ranch where the shooting took place, blows the story sky-high by giving the news to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. According to Ms. Armstrong, Mr. Cheney told her to do what she thought made sense. Has Ms. Armstrong ever worked for Halliburton? ? 11:27 a.m., Monday. Mr. McClellan finally holds a press conference and gets grilled. One reporter actually asks (and we're not making this one up), "Would this be much more serious if the man had died?" ? 1:30 p.m. The Texas paper posts the story on its Web site, after calling the Veep's office for confirmation. Everyone involved confirms more or less everything, or so the official line goes. Their agreement is very suspicious. For the record, Mr. McClellan replied, "Of course it would." We hope the 78-year-old Mr. Whittington recovers promptly after his heart attack yesterday. As for the Beltway press corps, it has once again earned the esteem in which it is held by the American public. URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113996642493674158.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 15 19:04:19 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 15 19:05:01 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Cheney farce... Message-ID: <0IUR00JUF6V21I22@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Let's face it, the "national media" are a bunch of asses. I wonder how they would have reacted to Dorothy's house killing the Wicked Witch? Maybe Scott McClelland should have a media counterpart, a single individual who could be called on the carpet to explain the monolithic media's response to an event. As the first occupant of this august seat, I nominate Helen Thomas. Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 15 19:35:08 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 15 19:36:01 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Cheney farce... In-Reply-To: <0IUR00JUF6V21I22@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602160035.k1G0Z9Xf018794@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:04:19 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >Let's face it, the "national media" are a bunch of asses. I >wonder how they would have reacted to Dorothy's house killing >the Wicked Witch? >Maybe Scott McClelland should have a media counterpart, a single >individual who could be called on the carpet to explain the >monolithic media's response to an event. As the first occupant >of this august seat, I nominate Helen Thomas. a/k/a The Wicked Witch of the East? From dep at drippingwithirony.com Wed Feb 15 19:59:45 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Wed Feb 15 19:58:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Cheney farce... In-Reply-To: <0IUR00JUF6V21I22@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IUR00JUF6V21I22@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602151959.45897.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Jerry Prather: | I nominate Helen Thomas. there's already research of the archives underway to determine how she covered it when aaron burr shot alexander hamilton. -- dep War is not the best way of settling differences; it is the only way of preventing their being settled for you. -- G. K. Chesterton From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 15 20:15:44 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 15 20:16:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Cheney farce... In-Reply-To: <200602151959.45897.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602160115.k1G1FjBL002702@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:59:45 -0500, dep wrote: >| I nominate Helen Thomas. >there's already research of the archives underway to determine how she >covered it when aaron burr shot alexander hamilton. That was covered up for a few days and Helen has been pissed off ever since! From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 15 21:11:52 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 15 21:13:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] May. Threaten. Present. Message-ID: <43F3DF68.3030904@bernstein.providence.ri.us> "...the tapes contain unknown material that may threaten present regimes. May. Threaten. Present." http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp#1953 -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 15 21:40:47 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 15 21:57:04 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] OY VEY IS THIS TERRIBLE! Message-ID: <43F3E62F.6020200@bernstein.providence.ri.us> >From _The American Spectator_ -=snip=- Insult Law By Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder Published 2/14/2006 12:08:58 AM The Muslims have pronounced their verdict. The cartoon man has been found guilty. The real crime is, of course, not being a Muslim. Now that they have established the crime, they have also pronounced the sentence. Even if you never saw or heard of the cartoon, you deserve to be hit with rocks, your car wrecked, and your embassies destroyed because you are an infidel -- and incidentally, there are no appeals. There was even television coverage of a Muslim religious leader screaming in some unintelligible language. However, on the bottom of the screen the translation appeared. This religious leader was shouting that whoever drew the cartoon should have his hands cut off. This hardly seems for us to be a reasonable penalty for somebody taking a piece of paper, picking up a pen, and drawing something. Could you picture a Jew doing something like this? Ironically, the cartoonists were not even condemning Islam, they were merely creating a satire of a terrorist. They weren't insulting their religion, they were satirizing a fanatic. But, the Muslims have decided that there are no laws, limits, or boundaries that apply to their behavior. They not only have the right to take your life, they now have the right to rob you of your freedom of expression. Could you picture a Jew killing anybody for such meaningless reasons? If a Jew gets mad he might sneak into your house and steal your lipitor or he would make a deal with your doctor to lie about your cholesterol number, or just when you have fasted a whole day on Yom Kippur when you finally could eat you would find that he snuck into your house and stole all your pastrami sandwiches. I never saw a Jew going into meaningless fights. That is why you seldom see Jewish football players. A Jew is not going to take a chance in spraining his neck or tearing a ligament in his knee or wrinkling his clothes just because he was fighting with somebody about catching a ball. He would rather go to a store and buy another ball and avoid the whole problem. That is why there are also no Jewish hockey players. Hockey players spend all their time hitting each other in the mouth with sticks. When Jews saw how Gentiles played hockey that is how Jews found out that instead of becoming a hockey player they would become dentists, and that way they decided to let other people play the game while they found a way to make a profit from it. Jews are never known to get into unnecessary physical battles. That is why people are never afraid of being attacked by a Jew. Did you ever hear anybody say, "Don't go into that neighborhood it is very dangerous, there are a lot of Jews there?" Jews have for so long been accustomed to being threatened and persecuted all over the world that they could never dream of creating needless violence anywhere because they would be grateful to even find a place where they are allowed to live in peace. Jews could never dream of threatening innocent people with inexcusable violence. Meanwhile the rest of the world is reacting to the Muslims with an amazing cowardice. Instead of a collective fury, we are pleading for forgiveness, and promising not to offend them with any more cartoons. Could anything be more perverted? The same people who are not offended by suicide bombers and terrorist killings, murder, mayhem, and destruction around the world have now decided that a cartoon... "OY VEY IS THIS TERRIBLE!" Everyday Muslim and European newspapers insult and degrade Jews as animals and rodents, which is not only insulting but, additionally, encourages the hatred of Jews. But did you ever hear any Jewish authority anywhere demanding that we find any of these cartoonists so that we can choke them to death or cut them up. Did you ever hear of an Israeli death squad searching for a cartoonist? If the Jewish people applied the same insult standard requiring a death sentence no Muslim would be safe now, anywhere in the world. Could you picture a Jew deciding that he has the right to kill but you have no right to draw an insulting picture? Nobody has ever died from a cartoon. If the worst thing the Nazis ever did had been to draw cartoons of death camps instead of putting Jews in them, six million Jews would be alive today. When was the last time any country decided to kill a Muslim anywhere in the world because they felt insulted? But the Muslims have created a new international law called the "insult law." This means they have the right to kill you whenever they please, and you have no right to do anything about it. If a Muslim were walking down a street in Israel with a picture of an insulting cartoon in hand, no Israeli would threaten his life. They would be too busy celebrating the fact that it was a cartoon and not a bomb. -=snip=- http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=9410 -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Thu Feb 16 00:02:31 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 16 00:03:05 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Socrates vs. SV Message-ID: <43F40767.4000605@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Citing Christopher Lasch isn't a bad start... -=snip=- The Weekly Standard Web 2.0 The second generation of the Internet has arrived. It's worse than you think. by Andrew Keen 02/15/2006 12:00:00 AM THE ANCIENTS were good at resisting seduction. Odysseus fought the seductive song of the Sirens by having his men tie him to the mast of his ship as it sailed past the Siren's Isle. Socrates was so intent on protecting citizens from the seductive opinions of artists and writers, that he outlawed them from his imaginary republic. We moderns are less nimble at resisting great seductions, particularly those utopian visions that promise grand political or cultural salvation. From the French and Russian revolutions to the counter-cultural upheavals of the '60s and the digital revolution of the '90s, we have been seduced, time after time and text after text, by the vision of a political or economic utopia. Rather than Paris, Moscow, or Berkeley, the grand utopian movement of our contemporary age is headquartered in Silicon Valley, whose great seduction is actually a fusion of two historical movements: the counter-cultural utopianism of the '60s and the techno-economic utopianism of the '90s. Here in Silicon Valley, this seduction has announced itself to the world as the "Web 2.0" movement. LAST WEEK, I was treated to lunch at a fashionable Japanese restaurant in Palo Alto by a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur who, back in the dot.com boom, had invested in my start-up Audiocafe.com. The entrepreneur, like me a Silicon Valley veteran, was pitching me his latest start-up: a technology platform that creates easy-to-use software tools for online communities to publish weblogs, digital movies, and music. It is technology that enables anyone with a computer to become an author, a film director, or a musician. This Web 2.0 dream is Socrates's nightmare: technology that arms every citizen with the means to be an opinionated artist or writer. "This is historic," my friend promised me. "We are enabling Internet users to author their own content. Think of it as empowering citizen media. We can help smash the elitism of the Hollywood studios and the big record labels. Our technology platform will radically democratize culture, build authentic community, create citizen media." Welcome to Web 2.0. Buzzwords from the old dot.com era--like "cool," "eyeballs," or "burn-rate"--have been replaced in Web 2.0 by language which is simultaneously more militant and absurd: Empowering citizen media, radically democratize, smash elitism, content redistribution, authentic community . . . . This sociological jargon, once the preserve of the hippie counterculture, has now become the lexicon of new media capitalism. Yet this entrepreneur owns a $4 million house a few blocks from Steve Jobs's house. He vacations in the South Pacific. His children attend the most exclusive private academy on the peninsula. But for all of this he sounds more like a cultural Marxist--a disciple of Gramsci or Herbert Marcuse--than a capitalist with an MBA from Stanford. In his mind, "big media"--the Hollywood studios, the major record labels and international publishing houses--really did represent the enemy. The promised land was user-generated online content. In Marxist terms, the traditional media had become the exploitative "bourgeoisie," and citizen media, those heroic bloggers and podcasters, were the "proletariat." This outlook is typical of the Web 2.0 movement, which fuses '60s radicalism with the utopian eschatology of digital technology. The ideological outcome may be trouble for all of us. SO WHAT, exactly, is the Web 2.0 movement? As an ideology, it is based upon a series of ethical assumptions about media, culture, and technology. It worships the creative amateur: the self-taught filmmaker, the dorm-room musician, the unpublished writer. It suggests that everyone--even the most poorly educated and inarticulate amongst us--can and should use digital media to express and realize themselves. Web 2.0 "empowers" our creativity, it "democratizes" media, it "levels the playing field" between experts and amateurs. The enemy of Web 2.0 is "elitist" traditional media. Empowered by Web 2.0 technology, we can all become citizen journalists, citizen videographers, citizen musicians. Empowered by this technology, we will be able to write in the morning, direct movies in the afternoon, and make music in the evening. Sounds familiar? It's eerily similar to Marx's seductive promise about individual self-realization in his German Ideology: "Whereas in communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, shepherd or critic." Just as Marx seduced a generation of European idealists with his fantasy of self-realization in a communist utopia, so the Web 2.0 cult of creative self-realization has seduced everyone in Silicon Valley. The movement bridges counter-cultural radicals of the '60s such as Steve Jobs with the contemporary geek culture of Google's Larry Page. Between the book-ends of Jobs and Page lies the rest of Silicon Valley including radical communitarians like Craig Newmark (of Craigslist.com), intellectual property communists such as Stanford Law Professor Larry Lessig, economic cornucopians like Wired magazine editor Chris "Long Tail" Anderson, and new media moguls Tim O'Reilly and John Batelle. The ideology of the Web 2.0 movement was perfectly summarized at the Technology Education and Design (TED) show in Monterey, last year, when Kevin Kelly, Silicon Valley's ?ber-idealist and author of the Web 1.0 Internet utopia Ten Rules for The New Economy, said: "Imagine Mozart before the technology of the piano. Imagine Van Gogh before the technology of affordable oil paints. Imagine Hitchcock before the technology of film. We have a moral obligation to develop technology." But where Kelly sees a moral obligation to develop technology, we should actually have--if we really care about Mozart, Van Gogh and Hitchcock--a moral obligation to question the development of technology. The consequences of Web 2.0 are inherently dangerous for the vitality of culture and the arts. Its empowering promises play upon that legacy of the '60s--the creeping narcissism that Christopher Lasch described so presciently, with its obsessive focus on the realization of the self. Another word for narcissism is "personalization." Web 2.0 technology personalizes culture so that it reflects ourselves rather than the world around us. Blogs personalize media content so that all we read are our own thoughts. Online stores personalize our preferences, thus feeding back to us our own taste. Google personalizes searches so that all we see are advertisements for products and services we already use. Instead of Mozart, Van Gogh, or Hitchcock, all we get with the Web 2.0 revolution is more of ourselves. STILL, the idea of inevitable technological progress has become so seductive that it has been transformed into "laws." In Silicon Valley, the most quoted of these laws, Moore's Law, states that the number of transistors on a chip doubles every two years, thus doubling the memory capacity of the personal computer every two years. On one level, of course, Moore's Law is real and it has driven the Silicon Valley economy. But there is an unspoken ethical dimension to Moore's Law. It presumes that each advance in technology is accompanied by an equivalent improvement in the condition of man. But as Max Weber so convincingly demonstrated, the only really reliable law of history is the Law of Unintended Consequences. We know what happened first time around, in the dot.com boom of the '90s. At first there was irrational exuberance. Then the dot.com bubble popped; some people lost a lot of money and a lot of people lost some money. But nothing really changed. Big media remained big media and almost everything else--with the exception of Amazon.com and eBay--withered away. This time, however, the consequences of the digital media revolution are much more profound. Apple and Google and Craigslist really are revolutionizing our cultural habits, our ways of entertaining ourselves, our ways of defining who we are. Traditional "elitist" media is being destroyed by digital technologies. Newspapers are in freefall. Network television, the modern equivalent of the dinosaur, is being shaken by TiVo's overnight annihilation of the 30-second commercial. The iPod is undermining the multibillion dollar music industry. Meanwhile, digital piracy, enabled by Silicon Valley hardware and justified by Silicon Valley intellectual property communists such as Larry Lessig, is draining revenue from established artists, movie studios, newspapers, record labels, and song writers. Is this a bad thing? The purpose of our media and culture industries--beyond the obvious need to make money and entertain people--is to discover, nurture, and reward elite talent. Our traditional mainstream media has done this with great success over the last century. Consider Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Vertigo and a couple of other brilliantly talented works of the same name Vertigo: the 1999 book called Vertigo, by Anglo-German writer W.G. Sebald, and the 2004 song "Vertigo," by Irish rock star Bono. Hitchcock could never have made his expensive, complex movies outside the Hollywood studio system. Bono would never have become Bono without the music industry's super-heavyweight marketing muscle. And W.G. Sebald, the most obscure of this trinity of talent, would have remained an unknown university professor had a high-end publishing house not had the good taste to discover and distribute his work. Elite artists and an elite media industry are symbiotic. If you democratize media, then you end up democratizing talent. The unintended consequence of all this democratization, to misquote Web 2.0 apologist Thomas Friedman, is cultural "flattening." No more Hitchcocks, Bonos, or Sebalds. Just the flat noise of opinion--Socrates's nightmare. WHILE SOCRATES correctly gave warning about the dangers of a society infatuated by opinion in Plato's Republic, more modern dystopian writers--Huxley, Bradbury, and Orwell--got the Web 2.0 future exactly wrong. Much has been made, for example, of the associations between the all-seeing, all-knowing qualities of Google's search engine and the Big Brother in Nineteen Eighty-Four. But Orwell's fear was the disappearance of the individual right to self-expression. Thus Winston Smith's great act of rebellion in Nineteen Eight-Four was his decision to pick up a rusty pen and express his own thoughts: "The thing that he was about to do was open a diary. This was not illegal, but if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death . . . Winston fitted a nib into the penholder and sucked it to get the grease off . . . He dipped the pen into the ink and then faltered for just a second. A tremor had gone through his bowels. To mark the paper was the decisive act." In the Web 2.0 world, however, the nightmare is not the scarcity, but the over-abundance of authors. Since everyone will use digital media to express themselves, the only decisive act will be to not mark the paper. Not writing as rebellion sounds bizarre--like a piece of fiction authored by Franz Kafka. But one of the unintended consequences of the Web 2.0 future may well be that everyone is an author, while there is no longer any audience. SPEAKING OF KAFKA, on the back cover of the January 2006 issue of Poets and Writers magazine, there is a seductive Web 2.0 style advertisement which reads: 'Kafka toiled in obscurity and died penniless. If only he'd had a website . . . .' Presumably, if Kafka had had a website, it would be located at kafka.com which is today an address owned by a mad left-wing blog called The Biscuit Report. The front page of this site quotes some words written by Kafka in his diary: "I have no memory for things I have learned, nor things I have read, nor things experienced or heard, neither for people nor events; I feel that I have experienced nothing, learned nothing, that I actually know less than the average schoolboy, and that what I do know is superficial, and that every second question is beyond me. I am incapable of thinking deliberately; my thoughts run into a wall. I can grasp the essence of things in isolation, but I am quite incapable of coherent, unbroken thinking. I can't even tell a story properly; in fact, I can scarcely talk . . ." One of the unintended consequences of the Web 2.0 movement may well be that we fall, collectively, into the amnesia that Kafka describes. Without an elite mainstream media, we will lose our memory for things learnt, read, experienced, or heard. The cultural consequences of this are dire, requiring the authoritative voice of at least an Allan Bloom, if not an Oswald Spengler. But here in Silicon Valley, on the brink of the Web 2.0 epoch, there no longer are any Blooms or Spenglers. All we have is the great seduction of citizen media, democratized content and authentic online communities. And weblogs, course. Millions and millions of blogs. Andrew Keen is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur and digital media critic. He blogs at TheGreatSeduction.com and has recently launched aftertv.com, a podcast chat show about media, culture, and technology. -=snip=- http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/714fjczq.asp?pg=1 -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Thu Feb 16 08:29:17 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 16 08:30:14 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The next war resolution may be a long one Message-ID: <20060216132920.XYDW4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> Another pinko-liberal weighs in: The next war resolution may be a long one By George Will Feb 16, 2006 WASHINGTON -- The next time a president asks Congress to pass something akin to what Congress passed on Sept. 14, 2001 -- the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) -- the resulting legislation might be longer than Proust's ``Remembrance of Things Past.'' Congress, remembering what is happening today, might stipulate all the statutes and constitutional understandings that it does not intend the act to repeal or supersede. But, then, perhaps no future president will ask for such congressional involvement in the gravest decision government makes -- going to war. Why would future presidents ask, if the present administration successfully asserts its current doctrine? It is that whenever the nation is at war, the other two branches of government have a radically diminished pertinence to governance, and the president determines what that pertinence shall be. This monarchical doctrine emerges from the administration's stance that warrantless surveillance by the National Security Administration targeting American citizens on American soil is a legal exercise of the president's inherent powers as commander in chief, even though it violates the clear language of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was written to regulate wartime surveillance. Administration supporters incoherently argue that the AUMF authorized the NSA surveillance -- and that if the administration had asked, Congress would have refused to authorize it. The first assertion is implausible: None of the 518 legislators who voted for the AUMF has said that he or she then thought it contained the permissiveness the administration now discerns in it. Did the administration, until the program became known two months ago? Or was the AUMF then seized upon as a justification? Equally implausible is the idea that in the months after 9/11, Congress would have refused to revise the 1978 law in ways that would authorize, with some supervision, NSA surveillance that, even in today's more contentious climate, most serious people consider conducive to national security. Anyway, the argument that the AUMF contained a completely unexpressed congressional intent to empower the president to disregard the FISA regime is risible coming from this administration. It famously opposes those who discover unstated meanings in the Constitution's text and do not strictly construe the language of statutes. The administration's argument about the legality of the NSA program also has been discordant with the administration's argument about the urgency of extending the Patriot Act. Many provisions of that act are superfluous if a president's wartime powers are as sweeping as today's president says they are. And if, as some administration supporters say, amending the 1978 act to meet today's exigencies would have given to America's enemies dangerous information about our capabilities and intentions, surely the 1978 act and the Patriot Act were both informative. Intelligence professionals reportedly say that the behavior of suspected terrorists has changed since Dec. 16, when The New York Times revealed the NSA surveillance. But surely America's enemies have assumed that our technologically sophisticated nation has been trying, in ways known and unknown, to eavesdrop on them. Besides, terrorism is not the only new danger of this era. Another is the administration's argument that because the president is commander in chief, he is the ``sole organ for the nation in foreign affairs.'' That non sequitur is refuted by the Constitution's plain language, which empowers Congress to ratify treaties, declare war, fund and regulate military forces and make laws ``necessary and proper'' for the execution of all presidential powers. Those powers do not include deciding that a law -- FISA, for example -- is somehow exempted from the presidential duty to ``take care that the laws be faithfully executed.'' The administration, in which mere obduracy sometimes serves as political philosophy, pushes the limits of assertion while disdaining collaboration. This faux toughness is folly, given that the Supreme Court, when rejecting President Truman's claim that his inherent powers as commander in chief allowed him to seize steel mills during the Korean War, held that presidential authority is weakest when it clashes with Congress. Immediately after 9/11, the president rightly did what he thought the emergency required, and rightly thought that the 1978 law was inadequate to new threats posed by a new kind of enemy using new technologies of communication. Arguably he should have begun surveillance of domestic-to-domestic calls -- the kind the 9/11 terrorists made. But 53 months later, Congress should make all necessary actions lawful by authorizing the president to take those actions, with suitable supervision. It should do so with language that does not stigmatize what he has been doing, but that implicitly refutes the doctrine that the authorization is superfluous. George F. Will is a 1976 Pulitzer Prize winner, whose columns are syndicated in more than 400 magazines and newspapers worldwide. From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Thu Feb 16 08:33:26 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 16 08:42:14 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Muslim bites dog Message-ID: <20060216133328.SJOR8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@enigmaster> Muslim bites dog By Ann Coulter Feb 15, 2006 The amazing part of the great Danish cartoon caper isn't that Muslims immediately engage in acts of mob violence when things don't go their way. That is de rigueur for the Religion of Peace. Their immediate response to all bad news is mass violence. That's a "dog bites man" story and belongs on page B-34, next to the grade school hot lunch menu and the birth notices. After an Egyptian ferry capsized recently, killing hundreds of passengers, a whole braying mob of passengers' relatives staged an organized attack on the company, throwing furniture out the window and burning the building to the ground. Witnesses say it was the most violent ocean liner-related incident since Carnival Cruise Lines fired Kathie Lee Gifford. The "offense to Islam" ruse is merely an excuse for Muslims to revert to their default mode: rioting and setting things on fire. These people have a serious anger management problem. So it's not exactly a scoop that Muslims are engaging in violence. A front-page story would be "Offended Muslims Remain Calm." What is stunning about this spectacle is that their violence is working. With a few exceptions, the media won't show the cartoons that incited mass violence around the globe (see the full gallery here). And yet, week after week, American patriots endure "The Boondocks" without complaint. Where's the justice here? Perhaps we could put aside our national, ongoing, post-9/11 Muslim butt- kissing contest and get on with the business at hand: Bombing Syria back to the stone age and then permanently disarming Iran. The mass violence by Muslims over some cartoons reminds us why we have to worry when countries like Iran start talking about having nukes. Iran is led by a lunatic who makes a big point of denying the Holocaust. Indeed, in response to the Muhammad cartoons, one Iranian newspaper is soliciting cartoons about the Holocaust. (So far the only submissions have come from Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau and The New York Times.) Iran is certainly implying that it has nukes. Maybe they do, maybe they don't, but you can't take chances with berserk psychotics. What if they start having one of these bipolar episodes with a nuclear bomb? If you don't want to get shot by the police, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then don't point a toy gun at them. Or, as I believe our motto should be after 9/11: Jihad monkey talks tough; jihad monkey takes the consequences. Sorry, I realize that's offensive. How about "camel jockey"? What? Now what'd I say? Boy, you tent merchants sure are touchy. Grow up, would you? In addition, I believe we are legally required to be bombing Syria right now. And unlike the Koran's alleged prohibition on depictions of Muhammad, I've got documentation to back that up! Muslims in Syria torched the Danish Embassy a few weeks ago, burning it to the ground. According to everyone, the Syrian government was behind the attack -- the prime minister of Denmark, Condoleezza Rice and White House spokesman Scott McClellan. I think even the gals on "The View" have acknowledged that Damascus was behind this one. McClellan said: "We will hold Syria responsible for such violent demonstrations since they do not take place in that country without government knowledge and support." We are signatories to a treaty that requires us to do more than "hold Syria responsible" for this attack. Syria has staged a state-sponsored attack on our NATO partner on Danish soil, the Danish embassy. According to the terms of the NATO treaty, the United States and most of Europe have an obligation to go to war with Syria. Or is NATO -- like the conventions of civilized behavior, personal hygiene and grooming -- inapplicable when Muslims are involved? Liberals complain about "unilateral action," but under the terms of a treaty created by Dean Acheson and the Democrats, France, Germany, Spain and Greece are all obliged to go to war with us against Syria. Why, it's almost like a coalition! OK, Mr. Commie: Saddle up! Ann Coulter is the author of How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must), Treason, Slander, and High Crimes and Misdemeanors. From mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us Thu Feb 16 10:02:10 2006 From: mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 16 10:04:17 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hunting Invitation Message-ID: <20060216150220.DOJN8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@enigmaster> -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 48562 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060216/ba3cf7a2/attachment-0001.jpg From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Thu Feb 16 14:35:47 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Thu Feb 16 14:36:18 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] New Atm Instructions Message-ID: <20060216193551.IBQC5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== A sign in the Bank Lobby reads: "Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through teller machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts. After months of careful research, MALE & FEMALE procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender." MALE PROCEDURE: 1. Drive up to the cash machine 2. Put down your car window. 3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN. 4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw. 5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt. 6. Put window up. 7. Drive off. *********************************************************** FEMALE PROCEDURE: 1. Drive up to cash machine. 2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine. 3. Set parking brake, put the window down. 4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card. 5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up 6. Attempt to insert card into machine. 7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car. 8. Insert card. 9. Re-insert card the right way. 10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page. 11. Enter PIN. 12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN. 13. Enter amount of cash required. 14. Check makeup in rear view mirror. 15. Retrieve cash and receipt. 16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside. 17 Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook. 18. Re-check makeup. 19. Drive forward 2 feet. 20. Reverse back to cash machine. 21. Retrieve card. 22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided. 23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you. 24. Restart stalled engine and pull off. 25. Redial person on cell phone. 26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles. 27. Release Parking Brake. SEND THIS TO A MAN WHO NEEDS A LAUGH AND TO THE LADIES YOU THINK CAN HANDLE IT! ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From sweeks1951 at netzero.net Fri Feb 17 01:53:21 2006 From: sweeks1951 at netzero.net (Steve Weeks) Date: Fri Feb 17 01:54:33 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: <20060216193551.IBQC5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: Saw a really bright meteor headed out over the Pacific at about 7:00 PM tonight. Brightest one I've seen in my life by far ... saw it through a thin cloud layer immediately after walking out onto the patio. One of those "What the ? .... Oh yeah, a meteor" moments. I don't see any current peaks for meteor showers right now. Must have been a rogue or another part of MIR coming loose. From zoidberg at legomenon.org Fri Feb 17 02:14:43 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 17 02:15:32 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: References: <20060216193551.IBQC5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <37995.70.172.219.12.1140160483.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Fri, February 17, 2006 1:53 am, Steve Weeks said: > I don't see any current peaks for meteor showers right now. Must have > been a rogue or another part of MIR coming loose. Darn Soviet junk! Sounds like a nice moment though... -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From zoidberg at legomenon.org Fri Feb 17 02:41:08 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 17 02:41:31 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: References: <20060216193551.IBQC5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <38069.70.172.219.12.1140162068.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Fri, February 17, 2006 1:53 am, Steve Weeks said: > I don't see any current peaks for meteor showers right now. Must have > been a rogue or another part of MIR coming loose. Darn Soviet junk! Sounds like a nice moment though... -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Fri Feb 17 07:47:12 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Fri Feb 17 07:47:33 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: References: <20060216193551.IBQC5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <46d72e000602170447i1d59a920w73964a5ea400d5a@mail.gmail.com> On 2/17/06, Steve Weeks wrote: > Saw a really bright meteor headed out over the Pacific at about 7:00 PM > tonight. Brightest one I've seen in my life by far ... saw it through a thin > cloud layer immediately after walking out onto the patio. One of those "What > the ? .... Oh yeah, a meteor" moments. > > I don't see any current peaks for meteor showers right now. Must have been a > rogue or another part of MIR coming loose. > > Way cool. Daniel From dep at drippingwithirony.com Fri Feb 17 09:42:12 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Fri Feb 17 09:40:35 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] the new york daily news . . . Message-ID: <200602170942.12991.dep@drippingwithirony.com> . . . takes a brave, bold stand: it has come out unequivocally against accidental electrocution: http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/392279p-332410c.html -- dep The whole truth is generally the ally of virtue; a half-truth is always the ally of some vice. -- G. K. Chesterton From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Fri Feb 17 10:23:44 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 17 10:24:36 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: This Just In: Bush Responsible for Recent Blizzard Message-ID: <20060217152345.OFQF4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== President Bush responsible for Blizzard > > > Bush Fails To Prevent East Coast Blizzard. Minorities Hit Hardest > 02/12/06. > > As President Bush and his staff cowered in the White House, the snow > continued to pile up on the many poor and African American victims > who could not afford to get out of town or to safety in Florida. > Crucial supplies of blankets, hot cocoa, popcorn and dark rum - so > essential to surviving the stress of any major snowstorm - lay in > stores undelivered. > > "Where is the government? I need my sidewalk shoveled so I can get > out to buy my lottery tickets!" said one D.C. resident from his > living room. "Why are we wasting money in Iraq when we could be > spending it here on me?" > > Progressive blogs blasted the President for his inaction. "We find > the timing terribly suspicious - just as the Domestic Spying hearings > kick into high gear, what happens? A major northeast Blizzard. Why > now?" wrote blogger FAmericanNBush2. > > Hearings into the Blizzards' effect on hearings are almost a > certainty. Howard Dean has suggested he will call for an > investigation once his new medications kick in and John Kerry took a > break from the sporting activities of the glamorous super-rich in > some exotic locale (random choice: Ice Sailing in Finland) to call > for new legislation outlawing snowstorms. "The Republican Congress > has dropped the ball once again. I have always been a staunch > supporter of anti-snow legislation, except for certain locations > where I ski. Snow has no business on our roads and the President and > Congress knows that." > > Calls for impeachment over "SnowGate" as some are calling it already > are mounting as deeply as the snow itself, and what will be > discovered underneath will prove to have a truly chilling effect on > the Republicans, as the inevitable thaw proceeds. > > Or something like that. ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From spmaiorca at cox.net Fri Feb 17 12:41:30 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Fri Feb 17 12:44:37 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors Message-ID: <20060217174043.REIE17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Mir lasted longer than sky lab.... -Patrick > > From: "Bob Bernstein" > Date: 2006/02/16 Thu PM 11:14:43 PST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life." > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors > > > On Fri, February 17, 2006 1:53 am, Steve Weeks said: > > > I don't see any current peaks for meteor showers right now. Must have > > been a rogue or another part of MIR coming loose. > > Darn Soviet junk! > > Sounds like a nice moment though... > > > -- > Bob Bernstein > > To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, > Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: > To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, > That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; > > Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Fri Feb 17 15:35:22 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 17 15:36:41 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The next war resolution may be a long one In-Reply-To: <20060216132920.XYDW4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> References: <20060216132920.XYDW4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <43F6338A.8020605@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Mike Riddle wrote: > Another pinko-liberal weighs in: > > The next war resolution may be a long one > > By George Will This was a very weak performance by Will, more a hissy fit than any considerations that might have advanced the discussion. Will seems to think that no more is needed than a legalistic tweak of FISA, so that executive actions now, in his opinion, illegal under the terms of that Act, will suddenly become legal. He is clearly uncomfortable with granting the executive *any* prerogatives in the conduct of espionage, but just as clearly the executive must retain *some* power to pursue *some* espionage free of any veto -- or leaks -- from the other branches. The executive is checked by the ballot box. The problem with FISA is its flawed conception: that a clear line can be drawn between 'domestic' and 'foreign' intelligence. Already the criteria for determining someone to be "an American person" under the terms of the Act are ridiculously wide, and include all manner of *non-citizens*. FISA is a creature of a time long since gone by, and it has worn out its usefulness, and welcome. Was not 9/11 enough of a lesson that any notion of a "wall," of dividing intel-gathering along domestic vs. foreign lines, was a fatal mistake. The wall problem has been remedied to some extent by the Patriot Act, but FISA, which rests on the same stupid distinction-without-a-difference, needs to go also. The editorial page of the WSJ has for a long time put forward a good case that Congress, not some new jury-rigged organ of the judiciary, should be conducting whatever oversight is needed and/or wanted, consistent with not ham-stringing the executive at absolutely every turn of the espionage wheel. To my mind, the piece by Richard Epstein, posted here by moi a few days ago, was much more useful than Will's in framing the argument. But he too fell victim to a false dichotomy, that of 'making policy' -- presumably Congress' role in military and intelligence matters, and 'administering policy' -- the job of the Executive. However, Epstein's discussion betrays a lively sense that the balance of powers is indeed *a balance*, constantly verging towards disequilibrium, and therefore constantly in need of trimming, as one would a sailboat or an airplane. Will, on the other hand, like many intellectuals, is made unhappy by any unpleasantness, any loose ends, any fuzziness at all in his perception of our constitution. (Not "Constitution," but "constitution".) He wants this messy business nailed down once and for all. Period. Because he said so. George Will is the kind of guy business men and women HATE to see in a boardroom. Intellectuals (and engineers) need not apply! -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From dep at drippingwithirony.com Fri Feb 17 16:10:47 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Fri Feb 17 16:08:41 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: <20060217174043.REIE17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060217174043.REIE17006.fed1rmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602171610.48059.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: | Mir lasted longer than sky lab.... but it didn't last as long as it was supposed to. and skylab didn't burst into flames and do other things to entertain the astronauts aboard. -- dep Instead of invading the family with the blundering bureaucracy that mismanages the public services, it would be far more philosophical to work the reform the other way round. -- G. K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Fri Feb 17 16:18:56 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Fri Feb 17 16:17:41 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The next war resolution may be a long one In-Reply-To: <43F6338A.8020605@bernstein.providence.ri.us> References: <20060216132920.XYDW4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> <43F6338A.8020605@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <200602171618.56131.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Bob Bernstein: | Mike Riddle wrote: | > Another pinko-liberal weighs in: | > | > The next war resolution may be a long one | > | > By George Will | | This was a very weak performance by Will, more a hissy fit than any | considerations that might have advanced the discussion. Will seems to | think that no more is needed than a legalistic tweak of FISA, so that | executive actions now, in his opinion, illegal under the terms of | that Act, will suddenly become legal. george will is uncomfortable with the contents of the constitution, probably the result of having spent too much time in washington. a useful remedy would be that for every year a person spends in washington a year be spent working in the fields. (oh, and lawyers, too -- imagine the "dream team", following o.j.'s acquittal, spending the next two years digging potatoes!) -- dep The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Fri Feb 17 16:26:22 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Fri Feb 17 16:28:41 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors Message-ID: <20060217212640.ILMR20875.fed1rmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > > From: dep > Date: 2006/02/17 Fri PM 01:10:47 PST > To: "Right-minded discussion of computing, politics, > and life." > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors > > quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: > | Mir lasted longer than sky lab.... > > but it didn't last as long as it was supposed to. and skylab didn't > burst into flames and do other things to entertain the astronauts > aboard. > -- > dep >true may be if the Sky lab stayed in use until 1989 it would have burst into flames and such. We didn't let it become a peice of used up junk. -Patrick From prather.js at verizon.net Fri Feb 17 16:39:36 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Fri Feb 17 16:40:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The next war resolution may be a long one In-Reply-To: <43F6338A.8020605@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IUU0017NPI0QRS1@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:35:22 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >George Will is the kind of guy business men and women HATE to see in a >boardroom. Intellectuals (and engineers) need not apply! Good remarks throughout, Bob. (I just highlighted the last paragraph as a prop for the reply.) Cheers/eCS, Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Fri Feb 17 16:40:44 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 17 16:41:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The next war resolution may be a long one In-Reply-To: <200602171618.56131.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602172140.k1HLekWh012615@oasis.novia.net> On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:18:56 -0500, dep wrote: >(oh, and lawyers, too -- imagine the "dream team", following o.j.'s >acquittal, spending the next two years digging potatoes!) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 95850 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060217/d3e9a096/attachment-0001.jpg From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Fri Feb 17 18:40:03 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Fri Feb 17 18:40:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: A typical D.C. overreaction Message-ID: <20060217234003.VFGM4002.centrmmtao06.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== David Brooks: Uproar over hunting accident was a typical D.C. overreaction BY DAVID BROOKS NEW YORK TIMES One of the most impressive things about us in Washington, you must admit, is our ability to unfailingly play our assigned roles. History throws unusual circumstances before our gaze. But no matter how strange they may appear at first, we are always able to squeeze them into one of our preapproved boxes so we may utter our usual clich?s. The Battle of Corpus Christi is but the latest example of our capacity to transform fact into stereotype. On a personal level, the Cheney-Whittington accident was a sad but unremarkable event. Two men go hunting. Both are sloppy, and one friend shoots another. The victim is suffering but gracious. The shooter is anguished in his guilt. "The image of him falling is something I will never be able to get out of my mind," Dick Cheney told Brit Hume of Fox News on Wednesday, adding, "It was one of the worst days of my life." Afterward, Cheney looked back, relived the moment and took responsibility. "It was not Harry's fault. You can't blame anybody else," Cheney said. "I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend." In normal life, people would look at this event and see two decent men caught in a twist of fate. They would feel concern for the victim and sympathy for the man who fired the gun. But we in Washington are able to rise above the normal human reaction. We have our jobs. We have our roles. So in the days after the Cheney-Whittington accident, liberal pundits had to live up to their responsibility to manufacture a series of unsubstantiated allegations while turning the episode into a Clifford Odets-style tale of plutocrats gone wild. "Was he drunk? I mean, these are ultrarich Republicans, at a weekend, fun-time hunting," pundit Lawrence O'Donnell wondered on MSNBC. Meanwhile, over at the blogosphere, the keyboard jockeys had a responsibility to sniff up vast conspiracies and get lost in creepy minutiae. "The 50,000-acre Armstrong Ranch is in Kenedy County. So I figure the Armstrongs probably have a lot of pull in county government. So, just a question: How thorough was the investigation of what happened?" influential blogger Josh Marshall queried darkly. Earlier, Marshall veered off, as he must, into picayune and skin- crawling theorizing about the path that the pellets took through Whittington's body: "Would the weapon and ammunition Dick Cheney shot have the force to imbed pellets near Whittington's heart at 30 yards? These pellets would have to have pierced his clothing, his skin and then lodged inside the body cavity, somewhere near or around his heart. The shot came from the right, and the heart is on the left, so that might add to the amount of tissue needing to be traversed." Meanwhile, we in the regular press have our own stereotypes to guide us. We are assigned by the Fates to turn every bad thing into Watergate, to fill the air with dark lamentations about cover-ups and appearances of impropriety and the arrogance of power. We have to follow the money. (So was born the stories of the potentially missing $7 hunting stamp.) We are impelled to elevate horse race over substance and write tales in which the quality of the message management takes precedence over the importance or unimportance of what's being said. Then, rushing to the footlights, come the politicians, with their alchemist's ability to turn reality into spin. It would have been natural, and probably smart, for some politician to put politics aside and say simply that Cheney and his friend were to be sympathized with at this moment. But life is a campaign, and they are merely players. "The refusal of this administration to level with the American people in matters large and small is very disturbing," Hillary Clinton declared. Nancy Pelosi added, "Open government would demand that the vice president come clean on what happened there." Finally, there is the office of the vice president, inevitably failing to surpass expectations. The vice president's role, on this as on all days, is to treat the press and the Washington community in general as a plague-ridden horde, from whom it is possible, upon the merest conversation or contact, to catch some soul-destroying disease. So, of course, the vice president was compelled to recreate his role as Voldemort, Keeper of the Secrets. We have, when you put it all together, created a political climate impeccably sterilized of spontaneity and normal human response. We have our roles, dear audience. Ours is not to feel and think. Ours is but to spin or die. ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From zoidberg at legomenon.org Fri Feb 17 19:35:52 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 17 19:36:44 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The next war resolution may be a long one In-Reply-To: <0IUU0017NPI0QRS1@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> References: <43F6338A.8020605@bernstein.providence.ri.us> <0IUU0017NPI0QRS1@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <40724.70.172.219.12.1140222952.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Fri, February 17, 2006 4:39 pm, Jerry Prather said: > Good remarks throughout, Bob. Sir, You are obviously a man of exceedingly rare taste and erudition! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Sat Feb 18 11:52:34 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Sat Feb 18 11:52:59 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The next war resolution may be a long one In-Reply-To: <40724.70.172.219.12.1140222952.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <200602181652.k1IGqZic015835@oasis.novia.net> On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:35:52 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >On Fri, February 17, 2006 4:39 pm, Jerry Prather said: >> Good remarks throughout, Bob. >Sir, >You are obviously a man of exceedingly rare taste and erudition! Nah, but even squids occasionally get something right! ,-) From sweeks1951 at netzero.net Sat Feb 18 15:48:35 2006 From: sweeks1951 at netzero.net (Steve Weeks) Date: Sat Feb 18 15:50:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: <200602171610.48059.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: | Mir lasted longer than sky lab.... but it didn't last as long as it was supposed to. and skylab didn't burst into flames and do other things to entertain the astronauts aboard. -- dep I thought I read recently that the Russians were reneging on some of their space station obligations because they were putting more money into MIR because someone was paying them ... commercial .... Don't remember the details. From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sat Feb 18 16:56:57 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 18 16:57:03 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Rosebud's Conjecture Message-ID: <43F79829.3050807@bernstein.providence.ri.us> http://rosebud.freeshell.org/archives/2006/02/index.html#e2006-02-18T13_38_51.txt -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Sat Feb 18 17:22:21 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sat Feb 18 17:23:06 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Rosebud's Conjecture In-Reply-To: <43F79829.3050807@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IUW001OQM5AQXG5@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 16:56:57 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >http://rosebud.freeshell.org/archives/2006/02/index.html#e2006-02-18T13_38_51.txt Of course! A law needs to be passed to cover everything, even the cat's litter box. Jerry -- My cat and I are alike in many ways. We both are gray; we both are fat; and we both dig in his litter box. PS: Santa, we both want a new mouse for Christmas. From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sat Feb 18 17:39:24 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 18 17:40:04 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Rosebud's Conjecture In-Reply-To: <0IUW001OQM5AQXG5@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> References: <43F79829.3050807@bernstein.providence.ri.us> <0IUW001OQM5AQXG5@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <44026.70.172.219.12.1140302364.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Sat, February 18, 2006 5:22 pm, Jerry Prather said: > Of course! A law needs to be passed to cover everything, even > the cat's litter box. Prather's Axiom?: > My cat and I are alike in many ways. We both are gray; we both are > fat; and we both dig in his litter box. Prather's Corollary?: > PS: Santa, we both want a new mouse for Christmas. Of course, if you blogged your laws, they would contain UTC time-stamps down to the second in their filenames! Btw, Mr. Rosebud, of 'Rosebud's Conjecture' fame, is a very dear and close personal friend of mine! -- Bob Bernstein To thee I owe that fatal bent of mind, Still to unhappy, restless thoughts inclined: To thee what oft I vainly strive to hide, That scorn of fools, by fools mistook for pride; Swift, to his "Malignant goddess" 1693. From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sat Feb 18 19:07:36 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sat Feb 18 19:06:05 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <200602181907.36139.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Steve Weeks: | I thought I read recently that the Russians were reneging on some of | their space station obligations because they were putting more money | into MIR because someone was paying them ... commercial .... Don't | remember the details. hope it wasn't anytime very recently, inasmuch as the thing crashed back to earth in march 2001. -- dep Instead of invading the family with the blundering bureaucracy that mismanages the public services, it would be far more philosophical to work the reform the other way round. -- G. K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sat Feb 18 19:17:53 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sat Feb 18 19:30:06 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] new favorite movie Message-ID: <200602181917.53938.dep@drippingwithirony.com> funny how things unfold. a couple of years ago, when it had first come out, i much wanted to see -- and a friend had what turned out to be a terrible bootleg copy of -- "big fish." the copy was so bad that i gave it back unwatched. kind of figured i'd get around to seeing it sometime. last week i was at walmart and there in the bin of cheap movies (because they were on vhs, not dvd) was "big fish." i got it for $6 and today i watched it. my, goodness! what a wonderful movie! (when i write a big long story sometime, it will include birds flying into glass. on a saturday evening in february 2002, i was driving to the store when an owl flew into the driver-side window of the truck and dropped stone dead to the ground. the romans would have thought this an ill omen, a very ill omen, and certainly things did not go all that well for the few years that followed. today, at the instant of denouement of the movie, a large black bird flew into the kitchen window a few feet from me, with a loud and startling bang. it apparently picked itself up, dusted itself off, and flew away, though. i'm taking it to be an undoing of whatever evil the owl brought down upon me.) anyway, if you haven't seen "big fish," it is well worth the rental. -- dep War is not the best way of settling differences; it is the only way of preventing their being settled for you. -- G. K. Chesterton From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sat Feb 18 19:45:01 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 18 19:46:05 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] new favorite movie In-Reply-To: <200602181917.53938.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <200602181917.53938.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <44378.70.172.219.12.1140309901.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Sat, February 18, 2006 7:17 pm, dep said: > "big fish." the copy was so bad that i gave it back unwatched. kind > of figured i'd get around to seeing it sometime. Agreed. I had to go to imdb.com to remind myself of it, but it is great. Of course, imho, anything Albert Finney does is great, because it's him. I like to think I have a little piece of Finney inside me somewhere. (Ditto Alec Guiness and Richard Harris...) > i'm taking it to be an undoing of whatever evil the owl brought down > upon me.) Sounds like a personal matter to me. You may want to bring it to the chaplain. -- Bob Bernstein ...the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. -- John Locke, A Letter On Toleration 1689 From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sat Feb 18 23:18:02 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 18 23:18:07 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Whither .com? Message-ID: <43F7F17A.1000001@bernstein.providence.ri.us> "Hang on to your wallet! "There?s a scam in the works. If it happens, it?s going to adversely affect all of us. "VeriSign wants to control the .COM registry forever." http://www.bobparsons.com/dotcomscam.html I have done a little bit of business with godaddy.com lately, and I like the way they operate. I have no reason to think this guy -- Parsons, president of godaddy -- is not credible. Sure, he's a competitor, but if he is distorting the VeriSign/Icann proposal in major ways, I'd like to hear about it. -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From sweeks1951 at netzero.net Sat Feb 18 23:43:07 2006 From: sweeks1951 at netzero.net (Steve Weeks) Date: Sat Feb 18 23:44:08 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l]Meteors In-Reply-To: <200602181907.36139.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: | I thought I read recently that the Russians were reneging on some of | their space station obligations because they were putting more money | into MIR because someone was paying them ... commercial .... Don't | remember the details. hope it wasn't anytime very recently, inasmuch as the thing crashed back to earth in march 2001. -- dep I did read this recently ... just did not notice it was dated ....So I googled , which is always uncomfortable for me but this time I had to change my underwear afterwards. I must have been following links in a current story which lead to old stories that I thought were current. Should have known Mir was toast thought. From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 19 07:44:28 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sun Feb 19 07:45:16 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] this week's steyn Message-ID: <200602190744.28677.dep@drippingwithirony.com> http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn19.html Cheering tidbits lighten otherwise grim week February 19, 2006 BY MARK STEYN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST In an otherwise grim week -- at least on unimportant peripheral matters like Iranian nukes -- three things cheered me up. The first was the decision of Iran's bakers to rename Danish pastries "Roses of the Prophet Muhammed pastries.'' Has a ring to it, don't you think? If they're looking for a slogan, how about "Iranian pastry: There's nothing flakier. Except our president." The second cheery sight was the destruction of a McDonald's in Lahore by the usual excitable young lads from the religion of pieces. Apparently the lively Pakistanis had burned every single Danish target in the city -- one early Victor Borge LP left behind by the last British governor -- and had been obliged to diversify. So they dragged Ronald McDonald out of the joint, torched him in the street and danced around his flaming remains shouting "Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to Tony Blair!" I'm not sure I even get that. Ronald and Tony seem kind of similar from a distance but even on the all-infidels-look-alike-to-me-especially-when-they're-alight thesis you'd think they weren't that easily confused. The third jolly event of the week was those other excitable fellows -- the Big Media White House reporters -- jumping up and down shouting "Death to Dick Cheney!" NBC's David Gregory, the George Clooney of the press corps, was yelling truth to power about why the Elmer-Fudd-in-gun-rampage story was released to "a local Corpus Christi newspaper, not the White House press corps at large.'' I know how he feels. I remember, like, four or five years ago -- early September, maybe second week -- there was this building collapse in New York and I had to learn about it from the TV because this notoriously secretive paranoid administration couldn't even e-mail me a timely press release. For an NBC guy discovering that some hicksville nowhere-burg one-stop-light feed-price sheet got tipped off before he did is like a dowager duchess turning up at the royal banquet to discover the scullery maid's been seated next to the queen. So anyway David Gregory's going bananas and yelling "I will yell!" and "Don't be a jerk!" at the White House press secretary, and there's more smoke coming out of his ears than from Ronald McDonald in Lahore, and I'm thinking, you know, maybe Karl's latest range of Rovebots that he planted in American media corporations are just a wee bit too parodically self-absorbed to be plausible. And then this lady pipes up and asks, "Would this be much more serious if the man had died?" Well, maybe. And maybe it would be even ever so much more serious still if, after peppering him with birdshot, Cheney had dragged him into a safe house in the Sunni Triangle and decapitated him with a rusty scimitar while shouting "Allahu Ahkbar!" and then sold the video to al-Jazeera. Fortunately, the Washington Post had that wise old bird David Ignatius to put it in the proper historical context: "This incident," he mused, "reminds me a bit of Sen. Edward Kennedy's delay in informing Massachusetts authorities about his role in the fatal automobile accident at Chappaquiddick in 1969." Hmm. Let's see. On the one hand, the guy leaves the gal at the bottom of the river struggling for breath pressed up against the window in some small air pocket while he pulls himself out of the briny, staggers home, sleeps it off and saunters in to inform the cops the following day that, oh yeah, there was some broad down there. And, on the other hand, the guy calls 911, has the other fellow taken to the hospital, lets the sheriff know promptly but neglects to fax David Gregory's make-up girl! One can only hope others agree with Ignatius' insightful analogy, and that the reprehensible Cheney will be hounded from public life the way Kennedy was all those years ago. One would hate to think folks would just let it slide and three decades from now this Cheney guy will be sitting on some committee picking Supreme Court justices and whatnot. Meanwhile, from Malaysia to Jordan to Scandinavia, it was a bad week for journalists increasingly constrained -- not to mention fired and otherwise humiliated -- in their ability to cover the big story of our time. If I had to pick a single moment to contrast with the hilariously parochial narcissist buffoons of the Washington press, it would be another press conference in another government building, this time in Oslo, called by Norway's minister of labor. Surrounded by cabinet ministers and a phalanx of imams, Velbjorn Selbekk, the editor of an obscure Christian publication called Magazinet, issued an abject public apology for reprinting the Danish Muhammed cartoons. He had initially stood firm in the face of Muslim death threats and the usual lack of support from Europe's political class, but in the end Mr. Selbekk was prevailed upon to recant and the head of Norway's Islamic Council, Mohammed Hamdan, graciously accepted the apology and assured the prostrate editor that he was now under his personal protection. As the American author Bruce Bawer commented, "It was a picture right out of a sharia courtroom." In Canada, by contrast, the Western Standard (for which I also write) stood firm in its decision to publish the cartoons, and as a result is suffering legal harassment from Muslim lobby groups and has been banned from both Air Canada and two of the country's leading bookstore chains, Indigo-Chapters and McNally Robinson. Paul McNally of the latter defended his action this way: "We feel there is nothing to gain on the side of freedom of expression and much to lose on the side of hurting feelings." Not exactly Voltaire, is it? "I disagree strongly with what you say but I will fight to the death for your right to say it as long as it doesn't hurt anybody's feelings." Maybe it could be Canada's new national motto. It's easy to be tough about nothing. The press corps that noisily champions "the public's right to know" about a minor hunting accident simultaneously assures the public that they've no need to see these Danish cartoons that have caused riots, arson and death around the world. On CNN, out of "sensitivity" to Islam, they show the cartoons but with the Prophet's face pixilated so that he looks as if Cheney's ventilated him with birdshot and it turned puffy and gangrenous. C'mon, guys, these are interesting times. Anyone can unload the umpteenth round of blanks into the bulletproof Chimpy Hallibushitler, but why not take a shot at something that matters? Or perhaps it would just be easier to change the term ''free press'' to the ''Roses of the Prophet Muhammed press.'' -- dep How quickly revolutions grow old; and, worse still, respectable. -- G. K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sun Feb 19 12:42:47 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sun Feb 19 12:43:21 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] brought up to hate Message-ID: <200602191242.47633.dep@drippingwithirony.com> here's a little something worth reading: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/02/12/do1205.xml We were brought up to hate - and we do By Nonie Darwish (Filed: 12/02/2006) The controversy regarding the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed completely misses the point. Of course, the cartoons are offensive to Muslims, but newspaper cartoons do not warrant the burning of buildings and the killing of innocent people. The cartoons did not cause the disease of hate that we are seeing in the Muslim world on our television screens at night - they are only a symptom of a far greater disease. I was born and raised as a Muslim in Cairo, Egypt and in the Gaza Strip. In the 1950s, my father was sent by Egypt's President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, to head the Egyptian military intelligence in Gaza and the Sinai where he founded the Palestinian Fedayeen, or "armed resistance". They made cross-border attacks into Israel, killing 400 Israelis and wounding more than 900 others. My father was killed as a result of the Fedayeen operations when I was eight years old. He was hailed by Nasser as a national hero and was considered a shaheed, or martyr. In his speech announcing the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, Nasser vowed that all of Egypt would take revenge for my father's death. My siblings and I were asked by Nasser: "Which one of you will avenge your father's death by killing Jews?" We looked at each other speechless, unable to answer. In school in Gaza, I learned hate, vengeance and retaliation. Peace was never an option, as it was considered a sign of defeat and weakness. At school we sang songs with verses calling Jews "dogs" (in Arab culture, dogs are considered unclean). Criticism and questioning were forbidden. When I did either of these, I was told: "Muslims cannot love the enemies of God, and those who do will get no mercy in hell." As a young woman, I visited a Christian friend in Cairo during Friday prayers, and we both heard the verbal attacks on Christians and Jews from the loudspeakers outside the mosque. They said: "May God destroy the infidels and the Jews, the enemies of God. We are not to befriend them or make treaties with them." We heard worshippers respond "Amen". My friend looked scared; I was ashamed. That was when I first realised that something was very wrong in the way my religion was taught and practised. Sadly, the way I was raised was not unique. Hundreds of millions of other Muslims also have been raised with the same hatred of the West and Israel as a way to distract from the failings of their leaders. Things have not changed since I was a little girl in the 1950s. Palestinian television extols terrorists, and textbooks still deny the existence of Israel. More than 300 Palestinians schools are named after shaheeds, including my father. Roads in both Egypt and Gaza still bear his name - as they do of other "martyrs". What sort of message does that send about the role of terrorists? That they are heroes. Leaders who signed peace treaties, such as President Anwar Sadat, have been assassinated. Today, the Islamo-fascist president of Iran uses nuclear dreams, Holocaust denials and threats to "wipe Israel off the map" as a way to maintain control of his divided country. Indeed, with Denmark set to assume the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, the flames of the cartoon controversy have been fanned by Iran and Syria. This is critical since the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to refer Iran to the Security Council and demand sanctions. At the same time, Syria is under scrutiny for its actions in Lebanon. Both Iran and Syria cynically want to embarrass the Danes to achieve their dangerous goals. But the rallies and riots come from a public ripe with rage. From my childhood in Gaza until today, blaming Israel and the West has been an industry in the Muslim world. Whenever peace seemed attainable, Palestinian leaders found groups who would do everything to sabotage it. They allowed their people to be used as the front line of Arab jihad. Dictators in countries surrounding the Palestinians were only too happy to exploit the Palestinians as a diversion from problems in their own backyards. The only voice outside of government control in these areas has been the mosques, and these places of worship have been filled with talk of jihad. Is it any surprise that after decades of indoctrination in a culture of hate, that people actually do hate? Arab society has created a system of relying on fear of a common enemy. It's a system that has brought them much-needed unity, cohesion and compliance in a region ravaged by tribal feuds, instability, violence, and selfish corruption. So Arab leaders blame Jews and Christians rather than provide good schools, roads, hospitals, housing, jobs, or hope to their people. For 30 years I lived inside this war zone of oppressive dictatorships and police states. Citizens competed to appease and glorify their dictators, but they looked the other way when Muslims tortured and terrorised other Muslims. I witnessed honour killings of girls, oppression of women, female genital mutilation, polygamy and its devastating effect on family relations. All of this is destroying the Muslim faith from within. It's time for Arabs and Muslims to stand up for their families. We must stop allowing our leaders to use the West and Israel as an excuse to distract from their own failed leadership and their citizens' lack of freedoms. It's time to stop allowing Arab leaders to complain about cartoons while turning a blind eye to people who defame Islam by holding Korans in one hand while murdering innocent people with the other. Muslims need jobs - not jihad. Apologies about cartoons will not solve the problems. What is needed is hope and not hate. Unless we recognise that the culture of hate is the true root of the riots surrounding this cartoon controversy, this violent overreaction will only be the start of a clash of civilis-ations that the world cannot bear. ? Nonie Darwish is a freelance writer and public speaker. -- dep The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Sun Feb 19 17:28:32 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Sun Feb 19 17:43:24 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] brought up to hate Message-ID: <20060219223022.RZUI25099.fed1rmmtao09.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> hi, Well snipping so I am not top or bottom posting. This is old news. There is a reason that the Christians in the Middle East support the invasion of Iraq, it is because they expect a real republic could nullify the hate. From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sun Feb 19 17:46:11 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 19 18:39:25 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Jeff Jacoby is... Message-ID: <43F8F533.6050604@bernstein.providence.ri.us> ...the only Boston Globe columnist worth reading: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/02/19/when_fear_cows_the_media/ -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Sun Feb 19 19:20:30 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sun Feb 19 19:21:27 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Jeff Jacoby is... In-Reply-To: <43F8F533.6050604@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IUY00113MA6QVT8@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 17:46:11 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >...the only Boston Globe columnist worth reading: > >http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/02/19/when_fear_cows_the_media/ This is a great article and right to the point. I agree with Jeff Jacoby and am amazed that he could continue to exist on the Boston Globe's staff. Fox News Sunday was good today, as well. Ex-senator Simpson came up with a bumper sticker for the Washington Press Corps: [and, damnit! this old fart can't remember exactly! I know there were three words that started with "C", the second of which was "Crap".] ...I just went to FoxNews.com and was reminded the slogan was "Controversy, crap, and confusion". NBC's Dick Gregory was so off the reservation during the Monday press conference that all decent people should call for him to be barred from the White House. But, then again, his rant was exactly why most of the US population no longer take the mainstream press seriously. And can you believe that both Time and Newsweek are using the Cheny shooting as their cover article? Talk about useless! This is a dead issue to everyone outside the Beltway, other than the far left nutcases. Okay, I'm through venting now... Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sun Feb 19 20:07:39 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sun Feb 19 20:08:27 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Jeff Jacoby is... In-Reply-To: <0IUY00113MA6QVT8@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> References: <43F8F533.6050604@bernstein.providence.ri.us> <0IUY00113MA6QVT8@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <47963.70.172.219.12.1140397659.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Sun, February 19, 2006 7:20 pm, Jerry Prather said: > This is a great article and right to the point. I agree with Jeff > Jacoby and am amazed that he could continue to exist on the Boston > Globe's staff. Yup. He's like the token non-psychotic on the staff. > Fox News Sunday was good today, as well. Ex-senator Simpson came up > with a bumper sticker for the Washington Press Corps:..."Controversy, > crap, and confusion". I like the old codger; not much gets by him. > NBC's Dick Gregory was so off the reservation during the Monday press > conference that all decent people should call for him to be barred > from the White House. What a maroon. When did he go off the deep end? He was a reasonable enough guy during the Bubba years. > But, then again, his rant was exactly why most of the US population > no longer take the mainstream press seriously. And, it's not lost on the people either. The Dem's have gone completely mad since leaving their blue-collar roots and becoming the party of the elite. Of course, Lenin is the prime theorist of the Party-As-Elite-Vanguard. That was the little squabble that earned Trotsky an icepick in Mexico. But at least the old-line commies, and even those of my day, in the Sixties, *understood* the importance of elitism, whether you were 'for' or 'against' it in your choice of Marxist flavor. The MoveOn.org deludenoids have no clue, about Leftist theory or much of anything else. They are truly the useful idiots. Most of them have never SEEN a poor person, and would never go back to see another one after having that experience! -- Bob Bernstein ...the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. -- John Locke, A Letter On Toleration 1689 From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Mon Feb 20 08:28:24 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 20 08:28:43 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: News Update..... Message-ID: <20060220132821.ZQAO5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== WASHINGTON, D.C. - A White House source stated that Congress is considering awarding Vice-President Dick Cheney the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian commendation, for his act of bravery in shooting an attorney. The source was quoted to say, " All Americans have wanted to shoot a lawyer at one time or another and Cheney actually had the guts to do it". In a related story, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which issues hunting licenses, said that it will start requiring hunters, wishing to bag a lawyer, to have the new "lawyer's stamp" on their hunting license. Currently Texas hunters are required to carry stamps for hunting birds, deer, and bear, at a cost of $7 annually. The new "lawyers stamp" will cost $100, but open season will be all year long. The department further stated that although the "lawyers stamp" comes at hefty price, sales have been brisk and it is believed it will generate annual revenues in excess of $3 billion dollars the first year. Other states are considering similar hunting stamps. ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Mon Feb 20 08:37:18 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 20 08:37:42 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] TEXAS ATTORNEY SEASON AND BAG LIMITS Message-ID: <20060220133714.OVOL8318.centrmmtao04.cox.net@enigmaster> ATTORNEY SEASON AND BAG LIMITS 1. Any person with a valid Texas State hunting license may harvest attorneys. 2. Taking of attorneys with traps or deadfalls is permitted. The use of currency as bait is prohibited. 3. Killing of attorneys with a vehicle is prohibited. If accidentally struck, remove dead attorney to roadside and proceed to nearest car wash. 4. It is unlawful to chase, herd, or harvest attorneys from a snow machine, helicopter, or aircraft. 5. It shall be unlawful to shout "whiplash", "ambulance", or "free Perrier" for the purpose of trapping attorneys. 6. It shall be unlawful to hunt attorneys within 100 yards of BMW dealerships. 7. It shall be unlawful to use cocaine, young boys, $100 bills, prostitutes, or vehicle accidents to attract attorneys. 8. It shall be unlawful to hunt attorneys within 200 yards of courtrooms, law libraries, whorehouses, health spas, gay bars, ambulances, or hospitals. 9. If an attorney is elected to government office, it shall be a felony to hunt, trap, or possess it. 10. Stuffed or mounted attorneys must have a state health department inspection for AIDS, rabies, and vermin. 11. It shall be illegal for a hunter to disguise himself as a reporter, drug dealer, pimp, female legal clerk, sheep, accident victim, bookie, or tax accountant for the purpose of hunting attorneys. BAG LIMITS 1. Yellow Bellied Sidewinder 2 2. Two-faced Tort Feasor 1 3. Back-stabbing Divorce Litigator 4 4. Small-breasted Ball Buster (Female only) 3 5. Big-mouthed Pub Gut 2 6. Honest Attorney EXTINCT 7. Cut-throat 2 8. Back-stabbing Whiner 2 9. Brown-nosed Judge Kisser 2 10. Silver-tongued Drug Defender $100 BOUNTY 11. Hairy-assed Civil Libertarian 7 From sjkleinsr at cox.net Mon Feb 20 10:25:30 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Mon Feb 20 10:26:45 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Viet Nam Web Site Message-ID: <20060220152545.CMDK8484.centrmmtao02.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> One of the highlights of this site is the music offered from that era. Enjoy, it brings back memories. http://chu65nang67.us/nam/vietnam.html Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From spmaiorca at cox.net Mon Feb 20 12:03:42 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Mon Feb 20 12:12:47 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Viet Nam Web Site Message-ID: <20060220171040.TYQO20875.fed1rmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> isn't the song "Soldier's last letter home" a cover of a Hank William's song from the 1940's? > > From: "Stan Klein, Sr." > Date: 2006/02/20 Mon AM 10:25:30 EST > To: > Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Viet Nam Web Site > > One of the highlights of this site is the music offered from that era. Enjoy, it brings back memories. > > http://chu65nang67.us/nam/vietnam.html > > > > > Stan Klein, Sr. > Homeless, live in a truck > Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black > > _______________________________________________ > os2-right-stuff-l mailing list > os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l > From sjkleinsr at cox.net Mon Feb 20 13:22:26 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Mon Feb 20 13:24:47 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Viet Nam Web Site Message-ID: <20060220182238.EGVN5868.centrmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Could be. A lot of wartime songs get revived for the wars that follow. > > From: > Subject: Re: [os2-right-stuff-l] Viet Nam Web Site > > isn't the song "Soldier's last letter home" a cover of a Hank William's song from the 1940's? Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 20 14:02:53 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 20 14:03:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Viet Nam Web Site In-Reply-To: <20060220171040.TYQO20875.fed1rmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060220171040.TYQO20875.fed1rmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602201402.54004.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: | isn't the song "Soldier's last letter home" a cover of a Hank | William's song from the 1940's? yes. the original was entitled "durn them top-posters." -- dep >From time to time, as we all know, a sect appears in our midst announcing that the world will very soon come to an end. Generally, by some slight confusion or miscalculation, it is the sect that comes to an end. -- G.K. Chesterton From sjkleinsr at cox.net Mon Feb 20 14:12:23 2006 From: sjkleinsr at cox.net (Stan Klein, Sr.) Date: Mon Feb 20 14:13:47 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters Message-ID: <20060220191233.RMAA613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> You talkin bout me, old man? > > yes. the original was entitled "durn them top-posters." > -- > dep > Stan Klein, Sr. Homeless, live in a truck Will work for Chivas Regal/Johnny Walker Black From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Mon Feb 20 14:23:04 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 20 14:23:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <20060220191233.RMAA613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Message-ID: <200602201923.k1KJN4A0028191@oasis.novia.net> Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog Recorded by: Johnny Cash Written by: Jack Clement Recorded: January 11,1966 Nashville, Tenessee Source: The Essential Johnny Cash Vol. 2 Well he's not very handsome to look at Oh he's shaggy and he eats like a hog And he's always killin' my chickens That dirty old egg-suckin' dog Egg-suckin' dog I'm gonna stomp your head in the ground If you don't stay out of my hen house You dirty old egg-suckin' hound Now if he don't stop eatin' my eggs up Though I'm not a real bad guy I'm gonna get my riffle and send him To that great chicken house in the sky Egg-suckin' dog Your always hangin' around But you'd better stay out of my hen house You dirty old egg-suckin' hound On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:12:23 -0500, Stan Klein, Sr. wrote: >You talkin bout me, old man? >> >> yes. the original was entitled "durn them top-posters." >> -- >> dep >> From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 20 14:42:02 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 20 14:42:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <20060220191233.RMAA613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> References: <20060220191233.RMAA613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@[172.18.53.8]> Message-ID: <200602201442.02699.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Stan Klein, Sr.: | You talkin bout me, old man? the foo appears to hath shat. -- dep What we call emancipation is always and of necessity simply the free choice of the soul between one set of limitations and another. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Mon Feb 20 14:43:40 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Mon Feb 20 14:46:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] online SR-71 musem Message-ID: <20060220194410.ONCR15695.fed1rmmtao01.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> http://www.habu.org/ From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 20 14:51:33 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 20 14:52:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <200602201442.02699.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IV0002SQ4I1E30A@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:42:02 -0500, dep wrote: >the foo appears to hath shat. That's as eloquent as the lyrics to "Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog." Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Mon Feb 20 15:02:08 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Mon Feb 20 15:02:49 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <0IV0002SQ4I1E30A@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602202002.k1KK2827012411@oasis.novia.net> On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:51:33 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:42:02 -0500, dep wrote: >>the foo appears to hath shat. >That's as eloquent as the lyrics to "Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog." For the uninitiated: The Foo Bird American missionary was visiting a village in Borneo. The village had a tiny local bird, called the "Foo," that hung around the village and was a scavenger. The missionary noticed that all of the tribe's people had piles of something on their heads and shoulders. He asked what it was and was told that the Foos flying overhead would defecate, as birds do, and sometimes it hit people. The tribe had an old belief that it was good luck and that removing it was bad luck. People that had the highest piles were looked upon as favored by the gods. They took great pains not to disturb the accumulated Foo droppings. They added that removing them would result in death. The missionary said that was nonsense and when the first Foo dropped on his head, he took out his handkerchief and cleaned it off. He immediately dropped dead. The tribe started chanting, "If the Foo shits, wear it!" From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Mon Feb 20 16:55:32 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 20 16:55:51 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! Message-ID: <43FA3AD4.80304@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Tech support! -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: techsupport.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 74751 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060220/5162d1db/techsupport-0001.jpg From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 20 17:30:48 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 20 17:31:51 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <200602202002.k1KK2827012411@oasis.novia.net> References: <0IV0002SQ4I1E30A@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> <200602202002.k1KK2827012411@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <51108.70.172.219.12.1140474648.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Mon, February 20, 2006 3:02 pm, Mike Riddle said: > For the uninitiated: Thanks for the background Mike, but I am still stuck with a lingering sense of "Was this trip really necessary?" -- Bob Bernstein ...the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. -- John Locke, A Letter On Toleration 1689 From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Mon Feb 20 17:36:42 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Charon the Boatman) Date: Mon Feb 20 17:55:52 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <51108.70.172.219.12.1140474648.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <200602202238.k1KMcoKN010167@oasis.novia.net> On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 17:30:48 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >> For the uninitiated: >Thanks for the background Mike, but I am still stuck with a lingering >sense of "Was this trip really necessary?" "When you top post--even with the best intentions, you write without knowing where you have been and therefore do not know where you are going. The road to Hades is paved with . . . ." From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Mon Feb 20 18:08:18 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 20 18:08:51 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] RIP Message-ID: <43FA4BE2.6000003@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Curt Gowdy 1919-2006 -- Bob Bernstein From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 20 18:15:47 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 20 18:16:51 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <200602202238.k1KMcoKN010167@oasis.novia.net> References: <51108.70.172.219.12.1140474648.squirrel@legomenon.org> <200602202238.k1KMcoKN010167@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <51352.70.172.219.12.1140477347.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Mon, February 20, 2006 5:36 pm, Charon the Boatman said: > "When you top post--even with the best intentions, you write without > knowing where you have been and therefore do not know where you are > going. The road to Hades is paved with . . . ." Well, I was told "all shall be revealed," and lo and behold, it has come to pass! -- Bob Bernstein ...the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. -- John Locke, A Letter On Toleration 1689 From prather.js at verizon.net Mon Feb 20 18:28:48 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Mon Feb 20 18:29:52 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Top Posters In-Reply-To: <51352.70.172.219.12.1140477347.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <0IV000DF4EK2JMO1@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 18:15:47 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >On Mon, February 20, 2006 5:36 pm, Charon the Boatman said: > >> "When you top post--even with the best intentions, you write without >> knowing where you have been and therefore do not know where you are >> going. The road to Hades is paved with . . . ." > >Well, I was told "all shall be revealed," and lo and behold, it has >come to pass! How about my rule? Snip, clip, and edit! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From spmaiorca at cox.net Mon Feb 20 20:46:31 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Mon Feb 20 20:48:54 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! Message-ID: <20060221014640.OJHY6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Other caption why Patrick Maiorca had been working at Md's for so long...and only recently got a dead end job that won't lead any ware unless he can actualy make a profit selling things on ebay or in the break room. From spmaiorca at cox.net Mon Feb 20 20:46:09 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Mon Feb 20 20:48:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! Message-ID: <20060221014431.YVMA17437.fed1rmmtao12.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Other caption why Patrick Maiorca had been working at Md's for so long...and only recently got a dead end job that won't lead any ware unless he can actualy make a profit selling things on ebay or in the break room. -------------- next part -------------- _______________________________________________ os2-right-stuff-l mailing list os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com http://mailman.jtan.com/mailman/listinfo/os2-right-stuff-l From zoidberg at legomenon.org Mon Feb 20 21:43:05 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Mon Feb 20 21:43:54 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! In-Reply-To: <20060221014640.OJHY6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060221014640.OJHY6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <52010.70.172.219.12.1140489785.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Mon, February 20, 2006 8:46 pm, spmaiorca@cox.net said: > ...why Patrick Maiorca had been working at Md's for so long...and > only recently got a dead end job that won't lead any ware unless... Get OFF the pity pot!! -- Bob Bernstein ...the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. -- John Locke, A Letter On Toleration 1689 From dep at drippingwithirony.com Mon Feb 20 22:11:17 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Mon Feb 20 22:11:55 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! In-Reply-To: <20060221014640.OJHY6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060221014640.OJHY6244.fed1rmmtao11.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602202211.17170.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: | Other caption why Patrick Maiorca had been working at Md's for so | long...and only recently got a dead end job that won't lead any ware | unless he can actualy make a profit selling things on ebay or in the | break room. hey. it's pretty simple: figure out what you want to do which is consistent with your talents and skills or those which you can acquire. figure out your path to doing what you want to do, understanding that the path will not always be straight or lead exactly in the direction you care to go. then get at it. and remember that more people of success and achievement started out with nothing than started out with something. they learned the first and most important rule: you make your own opportunities. -- dep Those of us who have seen all the normal rules and relations of humanity uprooted by random speculators, as if they were abnormal abuses and almost accidents, will understand why men have sought for something divine if they wished to preserve anything human. -- G. K. Chesterton From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Mon Feb 20 23:26:53 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Mon Feb 20 23:37:55 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] brought up to hate In-Reply-To: <20060219223022.RZUI25099.fed1rmmtao09.cox.net@172.18.180.8> References: <20060219223022.RZUI25099.fed1rmmtao09.cox.net@172.18.180.8> Message-ID: <46d72e000602202026g7c4ac402lc8312b843c12f4e1@mail.gmail.com> On 2/19/06, spmaiorca@cox.net wrote: > hi, > Well snipping so I am not top or bottom posting. > This is old news. There is a reason that the Christians in the Middle East support the invasion of Iraq, it is because they expect a real republic could nullify the hate. > I don't see how a republic could work in that region. Since the Quran is so prevalent, and its teachings are about hate, it won't be a real republic. Later, Daniel From spmaiorca at cox.net Tue Feb 21 00:57:59 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Tue Feb 21 01:06:56 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! Message-ID: <20060221060348.LMRI17838.fed1rmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > hey. it's pretty simple: at > it. > > and remember that more people of success and achievement started out > with nothing than started out with something. they learned the first > and most important rule: you make your own opportunities. > > -- > dep > Denis I perfer your e-mail over Bob's as your atleast giving some encoragement in regrds to the idea of selling computers in the break room. I like building computers to begin with why not try to sell them in the break room and in the paper? and on line? From dep at drippingwithirony.com Tue Feb 21 09:09:54 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Tue Feb 21 10:01:05 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! In-Reply-To: <20060221060348.LMRI17838.fed1rmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> References: <20060221060348.LMRI17838.fed1rmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> Message-ID: <200602210909.54809.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth spmaiorca@cox.net: | Denis I perfer your e-mail over Bob's as your atleast giving some | encoragement in regrds to the idea of selling computers in the break | room. I like building computers to begin with why not try to sell | them in the break room and in the paper? and on line? bob and i were saying the same thing, just in different ways. it's this: if you want to succeed, then 100 percent of your thought and effort needs to go to how you're going to succeed, and not one iota to preparing or thinking about excuses for failure. i do not know your circumstance (nor could i say anything very useful, probably, if i did), but very broadly drawn, let's consider some stuff: -- dell sells a very nice computer with an lcd display and all kinds of features for under $500. how does a computer you've built successfully compete with such a machine? does it do so to the extent that a lot of people would choose yours over michael dell's? -- i do not know how big your breakroom and your town are. do you think you'll sell enough machines there (at what of necessity will be a fairly low profit margin) to sustain yourself? a whole lot of people who have tried what you propose have gone out of business. do you know how you'll be different? -- once you have sold a computer, you have the customer forever, and not necessarily in a good way. you will get calls at all hours of the day and night having to do with every imaginable problem, including a lot that have nothing to do with anything wrong with your construction of the machine. have you a plan for dealing with these that leaves everybody -- you included -- happy? i'm not saying these things to discourage you; i'm saying them because they are questions to which you need to have answers before you begin, these questions and lots more. and you have to have enough belief in what you're doing to get you through the slow times, but a realistic enough view that if you're doing something wrong you can see and correct it. and you need to do something else as well: eat. sleep indoors. go to the doctor and dentist from time to time. and so on. so at least at first you need to do something else, to take care of the needs of life while you're getting your entrepreneurial venture to the point where it sustains itself and you. what skills have you that someone would pay for? how do you market them? you mention that you are in a dead-end job. that's fine, because it is a job -- its dead-endedness doesn't matter at the moment, because it buys you a little time to find a job that offers growth. and, while we're all impatient, there are many good things between unemployed and president of ibm. and lots of compromises that must be made. i have an acquaintance -- i'd say friend, because once we were friends and there's no reason to think we aren't anymore except for the fact that i have neither seen nor spoken to him in 30 years -- named chris cooper. chris cooper wanted to be an actor; in college he demonstrated considerable talent. after college he went off to try to get work acting. maybe 10 years later i saw a review in the newspaper which mentioned him in a small, low-budget film. and 10 years after that i saw him playing a defense lawyer in an episode of "law and order." a few years later i was surprised and pleased to see that he had been nominated for an academy award -- and i was even more surprised and pleased to learn later that he had won. a couple of years after that i saw the movie "seabiscuit" and was delighted in his performance as the trainer. now i see that he has some role in the movie "capote." i have another acquaintance, who i've also not talked with for decades, who in college was a talented actor and who headed out into the big, wide, world to seek his fortune. the other day i got to wondering whatever became of him. so i did a web search for him and found that over the years he's had a bit part here and there; never has "broken through" as they say. and i have yet another acquaintance who was a highly talented actor almost from the time he could walk. he headed to florida and got work in dinner theatres and the like for awhile, but best i can tell has mostly given up and now lives off his mother's savings. these three chose a very tough business. all achieved some degree of success. in the case of one, it's huge success. in the case of the second, it's just enough success to string him along; it might have been better for him if he had never gotten work acting, because he might then have gone onto some other career, where he might well have succeeded. the third one never considered anything else, but lacked the committment to do what he needed to do to make his dream come true. he was there for it as long as it was easy. bet you can't guess which one is all the time complaining about the unfairness of it all. sure, sheer luck played into it, but one can create an environment hospitable to luck and one can keep the door firmly bolted against luck's influence. chris cooper was apparently very good at recognizing luck -- also known as opportunity -- and when necessary creating his own luck. now. just as you like to build computers, i like to write books. i work very hard at it, knowing all the while that the odds against any book getting published, let alone making enough money that i will end up with, even, minimum wage for my efforts, is very slight. the glamour of tom wolfe being hailed wherever he goes is the very tip of the tip of a very big iceberg in the field i have chosen. for every tom wolfe there are a million lesser lights and most of them are quite dim indeed. one thing i learned very early on is that when the bills are due i would not be wise to say, "wow. better sit down and whip off a book." so i had other jobs. i wrote for newspapers -- and believe me, getting up at 4 a.m. to go to the police station to collect the police reports to write up in time for a paper that hits the streets at 1 p.m., all for $64 per week before taxes, and with other writing to do for the paper as well, is not a dream job. but it got me ready for another job. had to move 1,500 miles for it, but it paid $150 a week, though i had to work much, much harder. and on it went, not for years but for decades. still at it. i have a book out in manuscript and am working on a proposal for another. i've gotten three books published (two were ghostwritten, under other people's names). and all the while i had to do something else, too. i ghostwrote a financial column for a syndicated columnist who was very sick. i wrote press releases for musical artists, some famous and some not, at $75 apiece. for one period of time, i worked as what amounted to receptionist at a rental management company for two years. it could be argued -- i have an ex-wife who would argue it, and though she would be lying, the case she makes is a convincing one -- that my pursuit of writing cost me my marriage. it certainly caused me to move just last year from an expensive area to an area where one's dollars go farther. and here i do publicity work in the music industry -- and don't think for a minute that i don't enjoy it, because i do -- which keeps the lights on and pays the taxes, but which causes me to have to budget for anything much beyond the basics. and by the standards of measure for such things, i'm a *successful* writer. do not suppose i'm complaining, because i'm not, not in the slightest. i made my choices. i enjoy the rewards and have sometimes been surprised by the costs. but it's been my choice, good and bad, the whole way. reading what you've written here over time, a couple things come to mind: panic and desperation. those are not generally good motivators. they provide some energy, but they prohibit clear thinking. they are what cause people to eat the seed corn. you are involved in your religion. you are involved in computers. you are involved in a lot of things. you are looking for fulfilling work. and you have an attitude that, as bob described it, puts forth the notion that you ought to be pitied. but pity won't bring you anything good and it will rob you of your self-respect -- so why seek it? why not in a cheerful and happy way let it be known that you are looking for opportunities, and at the same time give some thought to creating opportunities. maybe you're spot on; maybe people in the newspaper and the break room are eager to buy computers just as fast as you can crank 'em out. but maybe there's something else you could do as well. maybe you could post notices around saying that you can configure and fix computers -- that's something you'd need to do with your computer business, anyway -- and you could make some money that way. that could end up being a bigger business than selling hardware is. maybe you could find some work with your local isp. in my experience -- and i'm someone who never got a job i was actually qualified to do at the time i got it -- a willingness to learn is as important as coming in with knowledge. (in a lot of ways, willingness to learn is more important than knowledge; we've all encountered people who are fixed in their belief of the one true right way to do something and who as a result are unemployable pains in the ass.) so bob's advice was actually more useful to you than mine was. stop feeling sorry for yourself. stop thinking that just because everything is not perfect today it will never be any better. replace the feat and panic and despair with enthusiasm. the world is full of possibilities. you're a young man. everything is open to you. stop whining and go for it. -- dep It's not that we don't have enough scoundrels to curse; it's that we don't have enough good men to curse them. -- G. K. Chesterton From spmaiorca at cox.net Tue Feb 21 14:36:44 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Tue Feb 21 14:46:09 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! Message-ID: <20060221194236.VXQJ17838.fed1rmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> First with dell their good if you like Intel and gammers don't. I know thing will take work to do....but the theme to the post is that I need to look at reality and recognise the fact I have two choices one figure out my niche. If I were to do any thing IT related I'd haveto be self employed I need to fill in the blanks on that. Place adds in the paper and so forth. the job I have pays $9 an hour the question is how to best invest it in myself..may be moving to a small town some place....right now my thoughts are what do I have to loose? don't over spend and see what I can do to do make a few bucks on the side....I could then see where I go from here. From spmaiorca at cox.net Tue Feb 21 17:23:46 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Tue Feb 21 17:25:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! In-Reply-To: <200602210909.54809.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <20060221060348.LMRI17838.fed1rmmtao05.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> <200602210909.54809.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602211423.46192.spmaiorca@cox.net> Hi, first I know the risks either my idea and plans will work or they will not. If I don't try jack then I know I'll be stuck in clientlogic ok so nothing gained. If I try either I'll be able to set up a shop that dose well in Las vegas where I am or I don't. If I do I'm happy about it and if I don't one of two things will happen either I'll learn and gain enough IT skills I can work for some one else making more money than I do now or I don't. If I don't I'm where I am now nothing lost nothing gained. I have plans for products and services besides computers and It related ones...in short...I don't see what I have to loose. Nothing...either I make it or I don't. -Patrick From dep at drippingwithirony.com Tue Feb 21 17:34:46 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Tue Feb 21 17:52:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . Message-ID: <200602211734.46725.dep@drippingwithirony.com> . . . gotten hypnotized by the olympic curling? dunno why, but this year when it comes on, i watch it. weird. -- dep An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered. -- G. K. Chesterton From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Tue Feb 21 18:01:28 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Tue Feb 21 18:02:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <200602211734.46725.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602212301.k1LN1Shq013377@oasis.novia.net> On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:34:46 -0500, dep wrote: >. . . gotten hypnotized by the olympic curling? dunno why, but this year >when it comes on, i watch it. weird. and a 4.5 from the East German judge. OOPS! Wrong year and sport. Perhaps it's that the coverage has been so complete it's actually possible to understand some of the game, and therefore appreciate the fine-motor skills and strategy involved. From spmaiorca at cox.net Tue Feb 21 18:39:14 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Tue Feb 21 18:40:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <200602212301.k1LN1Shq013377@oasis.novia.net> References: <200602212301.k1LN1Shq013377@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <200602211539.14827.spmaiorca@cox.net> Nope been computer shopping gonna deal with a dead end job by getting a better one even if I have to make it myself.....always heard that was the American way... From prather.js at verizon.net Tue Feb 21 19:02:51 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Tue Feb 21 19:03:12 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Here's your globalization! In-Reply-To: <200602211423.46192.spmaiorca@cox.net> Message-ID: <0IV2008STASRPY7A@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:23:46 -0800, S.P. Maiorca wrote: >Nothing...either I make >it or I don't. Okay, that's a straight up decision. Another wise quote from Yoda: "There is no try; there is only do." Cheers/eCS, Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From prather.js at verizon.net Tue Feb 21 19:04:28 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Tue Feb 21 19:05:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <200602211734.46725.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IV200HS7AVGUBK2@vms040.mailsrvcs.net> On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:34:46 -0500, dep wrote: >. . . gotten hypnotized by the olympic curling? dunno why, but this year >when it comes on, i watch it. weird. My wife can get into the skating. I can't think of much of anything that I can get into. I'd like to watch luge, bobsled, etc., but that never seems to be on when I surf by the channel... Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From dep at drippingwithirony.com Tue Feb 21 19:22:48 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Tue Feb 21 19:23:11 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <200602212301.k1LN1Shq013377@oasis.novia.net> References: <200602212301.k1LN1Shq013377@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <200602211922.49064.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Mike Riddle: | OOPS! Wrong year and sport. Perhaps it's that the coverage has been | so complete it's actually possible to understand some of the game, | and therefore appreciate the fine-motor skills and strategy involved. it still seems like shuffleboard with really big doorstops, but it's somehow fascinating. as though it would be fun to have one of those rigs set up here. though i kind of imagine keeping the ice pristine is a little tough. some kind of little curled-pinkie zamboni machine or something. don't think they make that kind of attachment for the gravely. (not that i'd even imagine trying to start the gravely in the winter . . .) but yeah, they've covered it pretty well. and the color commentator sounds like bob bernstein. -- dep I do not compare marriage with war, but I do compare marriage with law or liberty or patriotism or popular government, or any of the human ideals which have often to be defended by war. -- G. K. Chesterton From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 22 01:05:11 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 22 01:06:18 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <200602212301.k1LN1Shq013377@oasis.novia.net> References: <200602211734.46725.dep@drippingwithirony.com> <200602212301.k1LN1Shq013377@oasis.novia.net> Message-ID: <58078.70.172.219.12.1140588311.squirrel@legomenon.org> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Tue, February 21, 2006 6:01 pm, Mike Riddle said: > Perhaps it's that the coverage has been so complete it's actually > possible to understand some of the game, and therefore appreciate the > fine-motor skills and strategy involved. This made my night. Mike, you are my hero. We luv ya ya big goof ya. I asked my NH skiing bro 'what happened to Bode?' and got a long inspirational essay back from him as to how "real fans" understand that it's not over 'til it's over and blah blah blah. That phrase 'real fans' was his, and it instantly alerted me to the presence of group-think. The clear implication was that 'real fans' would never EVEN ASK 'what happened?' Hey! Guess how much of the gosh darn Olympics I'VE WATCHED! Nada. Squat. None. Zero. Adios. Have a nice day. Buh-bye now. Y'all come back now y'hear? - -- Bob Bernstein ...the care of souls cannot belong to the civil magistrate, because his power consists only in outward force; but true and saving religion consists in the inward persuasion of the mind, without which nothing can be acceptable to God. -- John Locke, A Letter On Toleration 1689 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFD+/8Wh3xeHo8d3akRAqeeAJ41Ga3suWI7yQUBLn+4WSUswKJP1ACggNbT qQs1vYqQR0TtehQsXZCLuGw= =j5Sw -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 22 08:02:56 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 22 08:03:24 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <58078.70.172.219.12.1140588311.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <200602221302.k1MD2uvW016911@oasis.novia.net> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 01:05:11 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >'what happened to Bode?' Besides being undisciplined, thinking the world revolves around him, the whole spectacle is for his enjoyment, and that "USA" on his "uniform" stands for something he seems not to appreciate? The good news is that Bode makes Shani Davis look diplomatic. ,-( -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP SDK 3.0.3 iQA/AwUBQ/xhAP5P0IDbNy34EQIrPACg4HVp/RAJ3/rHVdT25aAZUb9cf/4AnA5t sWWAtyooFAp+lC6JvBiuNPC8 =N3S0 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 22 08:30:42 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 22 08:31:25 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <58078.70.172.219.12.1140588311.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <0IV300K5AC77FYQ5@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 01:05:11 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >Hey! Guess how much of the gosh darn Olympics I'VE WATCHED! Nada. >Squat. None. Zero. Gee, that's almost as much as I've watched! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 22 13:20:48 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 22 13:23:29 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] has anyone else . . . In-Reply-To: <58078.70.172.219.12.1140588311.squirrel@legomenon.org> Message-ID: <200602221820.k1MIKmTv007682@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 01:05:11 -0500 (EST), Bob Bernstein wrote: >> Perhaps it's that the coverage has been so complete it's actually >> possible to understand some of the game, and therefore appreciate the >> fine-motor skills and strategy involved. >This made my night. Mike, you are my hero. We luv ya ya big goof ya. Speaking of curling... -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 37065 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060222/2135b70c/attachment-0001.gif From mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us Wed Feb 22 13:29:27 2006 From: mriddle at monarch.papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 22 13:30:29 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Virus Traits Message-ID: <20060222182920.EIJE613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== George Bush Virus - Causes your computer to keep looking for viruses of mass destruction. John Kerry Virus - Stores data on both sides of the disk and causes little purple hearts to appear on screen. Clinton Virus - Gives you a permanent Hard Drive ; with NO memory Al Gore Virus - Causes your computer to keep counting and re-counting Bob Dole Virus - Makes a new hard drive out of an old floppy Lewinsky Virus - Sucks all the memory out of your computer, then e-mails everyone about what it did Arnold Schwarzenegger Virus - Terminates some files, leaves, but will be back Mike Tyson Virus - Quits after two bytes Oprah Winfrey Virus - Your 200 GB hard drive shrinks to 100 GB, then slowly expands to re-stabilize around 350 GB Ellen Degeneres Virus - Disks can no longer be inserted Prozac Virus - Totally screws up your RAM, but your processor doesn't care Michael Jackson Virus - Only attacks minor files Lorena Bobbitt Virus - Reformats your hard drive into a 3.5 inch floppy ... then discards it through Windows ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From dep at drippingwithirony.com Wed Feb 22 13:45:52 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Wed Feb 22 13:47:30 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] extremely funny Message-ID: <200602221345.52247.dep@drippingwithirony.com> http://www.theonion.com/content/node/45572 -- dep It is hard to make government representative when it is also remote. -- G. K. Chesterton From mriddle at papillion.ne.us Wed Feb 22 13:56:19 2006 From: mriddle at papillion.ne.us (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 22 13:57:30 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Harry the Austin Lawyer] Message-ID: <20060222185611.ERDT613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== An unimpeachable source sent this to me saying it was composed by a friend of a friend of a friend: My name is Harry Whittington The truth to you I'll tell I am an Austin lawyer and I know I'm bound for Hell Like every other Texan I'm A sportsman to my bones And the biggest ranch in Texas, boys Has always felt like home I raised my bleeding head As they were wheeling me away I cried, you'll need some time to lose That beer you had today It might take quite a while before The vapors dissipate So wait twelve hours before you let That sheriff through the gate There are some things I'd never do For money, love, or health But if they'd asked me to, I would have Sworn I shot myself But like some tiny, wingless quail That story'd never fly I am an Austin lawyer and they'd Assume it was a lie His statement was so bollixed up I knew that guy was hosed At thirty yards that bird shot would Have bounced right off my clothes And so I called his chief of staff These words to her pronounced "He walked onto the firing line Unseen and unannounced" When you go hunting for the quail Be mindful of your crew Keep your doctor close at hand But bring your lawyer too And if this sounds excessive I assure you it is not Bring a second lawyer Just in case the first one's shot ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== From dep at drippingwithirony.com Wed Feb 22 14:16:19 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Wed Feb 22 14:16:30 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] amusing california case Message-ID: <200602221416.19593.dep@drippingwithirony.com> so. the evil bastard in california who was scheduled to lie down but not get up anymore has gotten a stay on the theory that lethal injection is cruel and inhuman punishment. let's suppose he prevails. this would mean that the state would have to revert to approved methods: gas chamber, electrocution, hanging, firing squad . . . i'm not all that certain that his fellow death-row inmates will be thanking him. of course, justice suggests that the means of execution should be as close as possible to the means employed by the defendant in killing the person for whom he's on death row to answer. which would definitely make for some impressive pay-per-views or at least new episodes of "most shocking police videos." -- dep What life and death may be to a turkey is not my business; but the soul of Scrooge and the body of Cratchit are my business. -- G. K. Chesterton From dep at drippingwithirony.com Wed Feb 22 14:18:52 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Wed Feb 22 14:19:30 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Harry the Austin Lawyer] In-Reply-To: <20060222185611.ERDT613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> References: <20060222185611.ERDT613.centrmmtao03.cox.net@enigmaster> Message-ID: <200602221418.52475.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Mike Riddle: | But like some tiny, wingless quail | That story'd never fly looks like something out of california or nyc -- everybody else knows that quail have wings and fly. -- dep I do not ask them to assume the worth of my creed or any creed; and I could wish they did not so often ask me to assume the worth of their worthless, poisonous plutocratic modern society. -- G. K. Chesterton From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 22 14:25:18 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 22 14:26:30 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] [Fwd: Harry the Austin Lawyer] In-Reply-To: <200602221418.52475.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602221925.k1MJPIcm014596@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:18:52 -0500, dep wrote: >| But like some tiny, wingless quail >| That story'd never fly >looks like something out of california or nyc -- everybody else knows >that quail have wings and fly. Have you no heart? Grant some poetic license and imagine a fledgling not yet able to escape the hundreds of pellets from the Evil Cheney's gun. http://www.bobrivers.com/audiovault/downloads/cheneyvid.asp From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 22 14:34:50 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 22 14:35:29 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] amusing california case In-Reply-To: <200602221416.19593.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IV30070ET22T9S0@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:16:19 -0500, dep wrote: >the evil bastard in california who was scheduled to lie down but not get >up anymore has gotten a stay on the theory that lethal injection is >cruel and inhuman punishment. Yeah. It should be reserved for relieving our beloved pets of the pain and suffering of their last days, not for animals like that! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From spmaiorca at cox.net Wed Feb 22 14:52:08 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (S.P. Maiorca) Date: Wed Feb 22 14:54:30 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] amusing california case In-Reply-To: <200602221416.19593.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <200602221416.19593.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <200602221152.08872.spmaiorca@cox.net> On Wednesday 22 February 2006 11:16 am, dep wrote: > of course, justice suggests that the means of execution should be as > close as possible to the means employed by the defendant in killing the > person for whom he's on death row to answer. which would definitely > make for some impressive pay-per-views or at least new episodes of > "most shocking police videos." Well there is the George Carlin suggestion of revived gladiatorial combat. -Patrick From zoidberg at legomenon.org Wed Feb 22 15:16:02 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 22 15:17:31 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] amusing california case In-Reply-To: <0IV30070ET22T9S0@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> References: <200602221416.19593.dep@drippingwithirony.com> <0IV30070ET22T9S0@vms046.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <60439.70.172.219.12.1140639362.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Wed, February 22, 2006 2:34 pm, Jerry Prather said: > Yeah. It should be reserved for relieving our beloved pets of the > pain and suffering of their last days, not for animals like that! "...that early-'80s thug, Michael Morales, is due to be executed at San Quentin State Prison for a crime that capped years of running with gang-bangers and snorting, gulping or smoking every mind-twisting substance he could get his hands on." But he mustn't feel anything from the last drugs he ever takes... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/02/20/EXECUTE.TMP -- Bob Bernstein How is gravity to clothe itself if jest goes about in dark veils? -- Robert Schumann From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 22 16:29:35 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 22 16:29:32 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tom and Madelyn, come on down! Message-ID: <43FCD7BF.4040805@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Check out the names that pop up in this article: Tom Daschle, Madelyn Albright... -=snip=- The Wall Street Journal February 22, 2006 PAGE ONE Bush, Congress Head For Clash Over Ports Deal President Promises a Veto, As Republican Leaders Move To Block Dubai Acquisition By GREG HITT, DENNIS K. BERMAN and DANIEL MACHALABA Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL February 22, 2006; Page A1 In a politically charged collision of economic and national-security interests, President Bush squared off against Congressional leaders and governors from both parties over the transfer of six U.S. shipping ports to the management of a Middle Eastern company. The escalating controversy over the $6.8 billion sale of Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co., of London, to Dubai Ports World underscores political tensions between two Republican commitments: national security and free trade in an increasingly global economy. Though the deal already has been approved by the U.S. government and by shareholders -- and is set to close next month -- an increasing number of critics are questioning the wisdom of entrusting port security to an Arab-owned entity. Yesterday, Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist joined Democratic Leader Harry Reid in pushing for a delay and further study. Absent action by the White House, Sen. Frist said he would pursue legislation "to ensure that the deal is placed on hold." His call was echoed by House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois. President Bush vehemently defended the transaction, summoning reporters accompanying him on Air Force One to insist it posed no security threat and to say that if legislation cleared Congress to block the deal, "I'll deal with it, with a veto." Mr. Bush, who hasn't vetoed any legislation during his presidency, said the U.S. would be sending "mixed signals" by acting when a British company faced no such objections, and he challenged lawmakers to "step up and explain why a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard." Back at the White House later, he added, "If there was any chance that this transaction would jeopardize the security of the United States, it would not go forward. But I also want to repeat something again, and that is: This is a company that has played by the rules, that has been cooperative with the United States, a country that's an ally in the war on terror, and it would send a terrible signal to friends and allies not to let this transaction go through." With the president's popularity flagging, the White House faces a real risk that opposition from the House and Senate leadership, fanned by the administration's Democratic adversaries, could lead to Congressional legislation blocking the deal. "[The administration's] credibility on national security is not the ace that they thought it was," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, head of the Democrats' House campaign committee. More broadly, a successful move to block the deal could send a chilling signal about some foreign investment in the U.S. at time when such investment has been critical in sustaining growth. The uproar follows a similar outcry last year at the unsuccessful effort by a Chinese state-controlled oil firm, Cnooc Ltd., to buy U.S. oil company Unocal Corp. At the least, the uproar could lead to a change in the way such deals are reviewed. With the administration already having signed off, some in Congress are calling for overhauling and toughening the government's 31-year-old system for reviewing foreign investments with national-security implications -- including creating an expanded role for Congress. Under federal law, there is little the administration can do at this point to derail the sale. The deal followed the normal approval process for foreign transactions with national-security implications. The acquisition was run through the Treasury Department, which typically convenes experts from across the government for what is called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS. Wrapped in secrecy, the panel makes recommendations to the president, who has final say. "I think we're at a time where we can get some good CFIUS reform," said attorney Patrick Mulloy, a critic of the current approval process who sits on a government-appointed U.S.-China trade commission. The P&O example reveals that the Treasury Department "doesn't want to use its authority," Mr. Mulloy said. "Foreigners finance our budget deficits and trade deficits, and Treasury doesn't want to do anything that will interfere with the investment flows." Among its global holdings, P&O controls ports in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans and Newark, N.J. Its U.S. affiliate directly employs 430 workers, while another 6,000 or so workers are hired daily on a contract basis through the longshore union. For its part, Dubai Ports World is backed by the government in Dubai, one of the seven emirates that comprise the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, a small, conservative Muslim state on the Persian Gulf. The company's chief operating officer, Ted Bilkey, said it has worked within U.S. law and "actually approached the U.S. government for approval of our security arrangement weeks prior to the formal review." In a statement, Mr. Bilkey said: "We will continue to work with the U.S. government on maintaining the highest standards of security at U.S. ports, and will fully cooperate in putting into place whatever is necessary to protect the terminals." People close to the matter said the company isn't considering stripping out the U.S. ports because it sees no such need. Yesterday, members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee -- including Republican Chairwoman Susan Collins of Maine -- sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Treasury Secretary John Snow expressing "serious concerns" about the review of the sale and demanding the committee be briefed on the process. Also questioning the deal were two Republican governors, George Pataki of New York and Robert Ehrlich of Maryland, and New Jersey's Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, all of whom have affected ports in their states. Joining Mr. Frist were Republican leaders Jon Kyl of Arizona and Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, both facing tough Senate re-election races this fall. Dubai Ports World executives plan to visit Washington this week to brief congressional leaders and staffers and administration officials on the deal. Girding for a battle, the company is tapping well-connected consulting firms for help: Downey-McGrath Group, founded by former congressmen from both parties, and Alston & Bird LLC, whose advisers include former Senate Democratic Leader Thomas Daschle of South Dakota. In the background is Albright Group, a firm founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The Albright Group doesn't lobby but has provided strategic advice to Dubai Ports World, specifically on expanding the company's presence in China. Some maritime executives said the weakest links in port security aren't likely to be in domestic ports. "If you are worried about a bomb in the box going off in New York, you need to worry about who loads the container overseas rather than the terminal operator who unloads it in the U.S.," said Theodore Prince, senior vice president of Optimization Alternatives Ltd., a Texas provider of terminal-operating software. [Map] Indeed, terminal operators represent just one of many links in a typical international supply chain. Typically, cargo is loaded into a container by a manufacturer or consolidation center overseas. It is then trucked to a foreign port, put on a ship and brought to the U.S. On the U.S. side of the transaction, a container is taken off a vessel at a terminal and moved by truck or train to a cargo receiver. While terminal operators play a role in security, including the fencing and access by employees, dockworkers and truck drivers, they don't normally touch the cargo inside the box. Security is provided by law enforcement such as the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection. Most U.S. container ports consist of multiple terminals, each of which is leased to a separate operator, such as P&O. Such terminal operators are responsible for developing and operating the terminal and may subcontract to a stevedoring company that supplies the labor to load and unload the ships. Stevedores usually hire unionized dockworkers who are U.S. citizens. --Jeanne Cummings contributed to this article. Write to Greg Hitt at greg.hitt@wsj.com, Dennis K. Berman at dennis.berman@wsj.com and Daniel Machalaba at daniel.machalaba@wsj.com URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114054059300379152.html -=snip=- Kinda give a guy the willies, if ya know what I mean. -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 22 17:02:23 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 22 17:02:33 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tom and Madelyn, come on down! In-Reply-To: <43FCD7BF.4040805@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IV30036EZVXI7Q0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:29:35 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >Back at the White House later, he added, "If there was any chance that >this transaction would jeopardize the security of the United States, >it would not go forward. But I also want to repeat something again, >and that is: This is a company that has played by the rules, that has >been cooperative with the United States, a country that's an ally in >the war on terror, and it would send a terrible signal to friends and >allies not to let this transaction go through." Tone-deaf again! If he had said this weeks before and had educated the public and the Congress on the real meaning of this action, there would have been little fuss and no bother. But just springing it on everyone (maybe even on Bush, according to a recent plaint) is just dumb. Who owns and operates the ports is much less significant than HOW the ports are operated. There are a lot of rules in place and DHS and Coast Guard have primary responsibility on the receiving end of the cargo. (As pointed out in the article, neither the port operator nor the security apparatus can control the loading of the containers.) This should have been a no-brainer for the country, and now it seems that the Administration is the one with no brains. I don't know what to recommend. The sale is benign IMHO, but the nation's reaction is sincere and should be heeded. How we get our feet out of this mud pit!!! Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Wed Feb 22 17:08:32 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Wed Feb 22 17:09:35 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Italian Job Message-ID: <43FCE0E0.9070405@bernstein.providence.ri.us> I was not surprised to find Josh Marshall's name in this article. He seemed to know a LOT about the fakes before anyone else did. That he worked with Crazy Mary (Mapes) at CBS doesn't help either. I think between Marshall, Nutty Ole Joe (Wilson) and his ditzy but connected wife, one need look no further for the ultimate authors of the fakes. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. -=snip=- The Wall Street Journal February 22, 2006 PAGE ONE The Italian Job: How Fake Iraq Memos Tripped Up Ex-Spy Rocco Martino Goes Silent As FBI Probes the Origin Of 'Yellowcake' Scandal By JAY SOLOMON and GABRIEL KAHN February 22, 2006; Page A1 For much of the past decade, Rocco Martino floated in obscurity on the margins of the global spy game. The silver-haired Italian worked briefly for his country's military-intelligence service, was kicked out but continued to freelance with SISMI, as it is known. He scraped together a living selling intelligence tips under an ever-shifting list of aliases to other agencies or to journalists. Then he stumbled across something that, in the charged climate following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he thought could be a hot lead: 17 telexes, memos and letters purporting to show how Saddam Hussein had acquired 500 tons of "yellowcake," a processed uranium ore, from the African nation of Niger to build nuclear weapons. Over dinner at an upscale Roman restaurant in October 2002, Mr. Martino offered them to an Italian journalist for ?10,000, or nearly $12,000. He never got the money. The journalist concluded, correctly, that they were fakes. Still, she ended up unwittingly feeding the papers into the international intelligence machine, which turned them into part of the U.S. case for toppling Saddam Hussein. Now, the 67-year-old Mr. Martino is at the center of a Federal Bureau of Investigation counterespionage probe, according to a senior FBI official. As they seek to determine whether a foreign country intentionally misled the U.S. intelligence community about Saddam's activities, agents are trying to answer these questions: Who created the fake intelligence in the first place, and why? Was Mr. Martino actively trying to aid the case for war? Was he a pawn for others who were? "Rocco was a set up" for someone else, contends Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey of New York, who failed in December to push a resolution through the House of Representatives compelling the White House to release documents related to the Niger case. "We still don't know who [the Italian] was working with." While Mr. Martino spent much of his career peddling stories to journalists, he now won't talk to the press. He declined repeated interview requests through his Rome lawyer, Giuseppe Placidi. Mr. Placidi says he believes somebody must have forged the documents but that it wasn't Mr. Martino. SISMI also has denied forging or disseminating the dossier. A native of the southern Italian region of Calabria, Mr. Martino spent the early years of his professional career in the carabinieri, Italy's military police force. His on-again, off-again relationship with SISMI was revealed by the current head of the agency, Gen. Nicol? Pollari, to a closed Italian parliamentary commission last year, according to Italian Sen. Luigi Malabarba, a member of the commission. People who have had dealings with Mr. Martino describe him as always elegantly dressed, with well-trimmed hair and moustache, a preference for tailored beige suits and the manners of a southern Italian gentleman. Elisabetta Burba, the journalist who met Mr. Martino that fateful night in October 2002, says she has known him for close to a decade and had received solid information from him in the past, including a scoop about an Islamic charity that had links to terror funding. For some information she paid him, a not-uncommon practice among Italian journalists. She says Mr. Martino had at times described himself as a businessman and security consultant. His lawyer, Mr. Placidi, says his client has worked recently as a paid operative of France's intelligence service, the Direction Generale de la Securite Exterieure, or DGSE. A spokesman for the DGSE declined repeated requests for comment. Others who have met him say he worked hard to convey an air of mystery. Carlo Bonini, a reporter with Rome daily La Republica, says he first met Mr. Martino in a Rome cafe in 2003, where he went by the pseudonym Signor Morini. "He tried to give me the impression that he knew a lot more than he could tell," recalls Mr. Bonini. He also struck some of his acquaintances as being amateurish, even forgetting the combination of the lock for his briefcase on occasions. A business deal he entered in recent years went awry and ended with him being charged with fraud, though he was never convicted, according Mr. Placidi, his lawyer. He also had a scrape with the law when some checks stolen during a robbery in Germany wound up in his hands, the lawyer adds, declining to provide further detail. According to several people who heard Mr. Martino's account, the bogus Niger documents came into his possession after a tip from his long-time handler at SISMI. The handler introduced Mr. Martino to an Italian woman working at the Niger Embassy in Rome. Mr. Martino called her "the signora." They had their first meeting in February 2000, according to people familiar with Mr. Martino's account. The purported handler couldn't be reached for comment. The signora, identified in a report by Rome prosecutors as Laura Montini, began regularly passing on tidbits of information, according to Rome prosecutors and others who discussed the matter with Mr. Martino. Mr. Martino has said that the Italian woman eventually began providing telexes and files depicting the sale of uranium yellowcake from Niger to Iraq, according to several people who have interviewed him. Reached at the Niger Embassy, located in a residential neighborhood in Rome, Ms. Montini said she has never met Mr. Martino and only learned his name from newspapers. She also declined to confirm or deny that she was questioned in relation to the probe conducted by Rome prosecutors, which eventually was dropped. It wasn't long after receiving the documents that Mr. Martino began seeking to peddle them to potential buyers. He tried to interest France's DGSE, according to his attorney and those who interviewed Mr. Martino. He also traveled to Brussels and tried to pass them on to the British Embassy, according to Gen. Pollari's testimony. Around the same time, he sought out the wider media world, including the Italian journalist, Ms. Burba. Ms. Burba says she spent weeks trying to verify their authenticity, even traveling as far as Niger. She ultimately concluded that the dossier was a fabrication. Some of the documents were dated prior to the events to which they referred; crucial details were missing; and one piece of correspondence between the Niger and Iraq governments was written, improbably, in Italian. She says Mr. Martino was upset when she refused to pay him and sent a text message to her phone insisting the papers were legitimate. Even though Ms. Burba herself didn't write about them, she unwittingly put the documents in play. As part of her attempts to corroborate the papers, she delivered the documents to the American Embassy in Rome, according to the journalist and an account of the event described by a report on prewar intelligence by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Embassy officials never commented to Ms. Burba. They did send the documents back to the State Department's intelligence arm in Washington, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, or INR. A week later, on Oct. 16, State Department officials in Washington were distributing copies in a meeting of an interagency task force that included representatives of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon and the National Security Agency, according to the Senate report. This wasn't the first time American officials had heard reports that Iraq was pursuing Niger's yellowcake. SISMI had passed on tips to the CIA to that effect in late 2001 and early 2002, according to U.S. intelligence officials. But the Martino-Burba dossier was the first time they had gotten first-hand evidence. President Bush asserted in his 2003 State of the Union address that Iraq was seeking to procure uranium from Africa. The White House denies it relied on Mr. Martino's documents to make its claims, citing instead a British "white paper" that made a similar claim. Several members of the U.S. intelligence community say they are convinced that all intelligence referring to uranium purchases from Niger were related to Mr. Martino's documents. "I've never seen anything from the Brits but their White Paper," says Carl Ford, who headed INR during President Bush's first term, when the internal debate over the Niger intelligence raged. "Since there wasn't any separate reporting from them at that time, I assumed the British report was based on the same documents the U.S. had picked up overseas, or they were referring to a country other than Niger." The International Atomic Energy Agency in March 2003 publicly pronounced the documents to be fakes. After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that same month, the CIA acknowledged that many of the claims concerning uranium purchases in Africa were based on flawed intelligence. As the intelligence scandal proceeded to grow, and cross continents, Mr. Martino was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his true identity secret, particularly as he touted a new story -- that he had been snookered by SISMI, which used him as part of a plan to discredit Iraq. In the summer of 2004, the Italian met with reporters for the Sunday Times of London in a cafe at the Brussels train station, where he referred to himself only as "Giacomo." He alleged he had been set up by SISMI, according to the article that ran on Aug. 1, but demanded money for his full story. "I sell information, I admit," he said, according to the article. Again, Mr. Martino's payday never came. Two British journalists balked at his request for cash, but not before surreptitiously snapping his photograph. With his photo now public, it wasn't long before others in Italy recognized Mr. Martino and newspapers began to publish his name. In a string of subsequent articles that ran in the summer of 2004, everything from Mr. Martino's work with SISMI to his financial troubles were published in Italian and European publications. As pressure mounted on him in Europe, Mr. Martino began courting a different set of journalists across the Atlantic: producers from the CBS show "60 Minutes II," who flew him to New York twice during the summer of 2004. The CBS journalists were reporting a story on what role the faked Niger documents may have played in the Bush administration's push for war in Iraq, according to three people who worked on the project. People who met with the Italian during his two visits describe him as harried by the strain of the public attacks in Europe. "He was being crushed" by circumstance outside his control, says Joshua Micah Marshall, a New York journalist and blogger who cooperated with 60 Minutes II on the investigation and has reported extensively on the Niger affair on his site, talkingpointsmemo.com1. "He didn't know what he was going back to in Italy." On a Sunday afternoon during his August stay, Mr. Martino went AWOL from his hosts, setting off a frantic search for the Italian across mid-Manhattan. Producers and a translator, ultimately, tracked him down near Columbus Circle in Central Park. The people who found him described him as shaky, crying and despondent that he might lose his livelihood and his family. To date, CBS has yet to run the program, because of an ongoing debate over whether it is ready to air. Kevin Tedesco, a spokesman for 60 Minutes, says the news program's journalists continue to report the Niger story and that "we won't rule out airing this material in the future." Write to Jay Solomon at jay.solomon@wsj.com and Gabriel Kahn at gabriel.kahn@wsj.com URL for this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114057841736379820.html -=snip=- -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 22 17:18:20 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 22 17:19:35 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tom and Madelyn, come on down! In-Reply-To: <0IV30036EZVXI7Q0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602222218.k1MMILZf002783@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:02:23 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >Tone-deaf again! If he had said this weeks before and had >educated the public and the Congress on the real meaning of this >action, there would have been little fuss and no bother. But >just springing it on everyone (maybe even on Bush, according to >a recent plaint) is just dumb. >From the WSJ piece: "The deal followed the normal approval process for foreign transactions with national-security implications. The acquisition was run through the Treasury Department, which typically convenes experts from across the government for what is called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS. Wrapped in secrecy, the panel makes recommendations to the president, who has final say." Therein lies the rub. Why the secrecy at the CFIUS? And if the president "has the final say," why is the spin now that he didn't initially know? Rumsfeld was quoted on the radio this morning as not being in the loop and he's supposed to be on (or represented on) the committee! Methinks the list of people to be taken to the woodshed is long and distinguished--and they should be grateful this isn't the former Soviet Union, or it would be a one-way trip. From mriddle at oasis.novia.net Wed Feb 22 17:19:18 2006 From: mriddle at oasis.novia.net (Mike Riddle) Date: Wed Feb 22 17:22:34 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Tom and Madelyn, come on down! In-Reply-To: <0IV30036EZVXI7Q0@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602222219.k1MMJKJx003138@oasis.novia.net> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:02:23 -0500 (EST), Jerry Prather wrote: >Tone-deaf again! If he had said this weeks before and had >educated the public and the Congress on the real meaning of this >action, there would have been little fuss and no bother. But >just springing it on everyone (maybe even on Bush, according to >a recent plaint) is just dumb. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 105815 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://mailman.jtan.com/pipermail/os2-right-stuff-l/attachments/20060222/57e21114/attachment-0001.gif From prather.js at verizon.net Wed Feb 22 19:10:18 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Wed Feb 22 19:11:36 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: FW: Another Tale of a Navy Carrier Jock Message-ID: <0IV4008WO5T5GXR1@vms042.mailsrvcs.net> Again, I can't authenticate the source of this story, but even if it was written by a modern Michner, what a hell of a tale!!! ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== --- Dave Riley wrote: > From: "Dave Riley" > To: > Subject: FW: Another Tale of a Navy Carrier Jock > Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 05:42:54 -0500 > > I had my share of exciting moments during carrier ops but > nothing like this. > All that can be said is "Whew!". > > > -----Original Message----- > From: xxxxxxx > Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 2:40 PM > To: yyyyyy > Subject: Fw: Another Tale of A Navy Carrier Jock > > Thought you might enjoy this. One hell of a pilot! > > > Greetings Slacker Landlubbers: > > Hey, I felt the need to share with you all the exciting > night I had on > the 23rd. It has nothing to do with me wanting to talk > about me. It > has everything to do with sharing what will no doubt > become a better > story as the years go by. > > So, there I was... Manned up a hot seat for the 2030 > launch about 500 > miles north of Hawaii (insert visions of many Mai-Tais > here). Spotted > just forward of the navigation pole and eventually taxied > off toward > the island where I do a 180 and get spotted to be the > first one off cat I > (insert foreboding music here). There's another Hornet > from our > sister squadron parked ass over the track about a quarter > of the way down > the > cat. Eventually he gets a move on and they lower my > launch bar and > start the launch cycle. > > All systems are go on the run-up and after waiting the > requisite > 5-seconds or so to make sure my flight controls are good > to go > (there's a lot to be said for good old cables and > pulleys), I turn on my > lights. As is my habit, I shift my eyes to the catwalk > and watch the deck > edge > dude, and as he starts his routine of looking left then > right, I put > my head back. As the cat fires, I stage the blowers > (lite the afterburners) > and am along for the ride. > > Just prior to the end of the stroke there's a huge flash > and a > simultaneous boom! And my world is in turmoil. My > little pink body > is doing 145 knots or so and is 100 feet above the Black > Pacific. And > there it stays - except for the airspeed, which decreases > to 140 > knots. The throttles aren't going any farther forward > despite my > Schwarzzenegerian efforts to make them do so. > > From out of the ether I hear a voice say one word: > "Jettison." (drop your > ordnance and external fule tanks). Roger that! A > nanosecond later, > my two drops (fuel tanks) and single MER (bomb rack) - > about 4500 > pounds in all - are Black Pacific bound. The airplane > leapt up a bit, > but not enough. > > I'm now about a mile in front of the boat at 160 feet and > fluctuating > from 135 to 140 knots. The next command out of the ether > is another > one-worder: "Eject!" > > I'm still flying so I respond, "Not yet, I've still got > it. > > Finally, at 4 miles, I take a peek at my engine > instruments and notice > my left engine doesn't match the right (funny how quick > glimpses at > instruments get burned into your brain). The left rpm is > at 48% (full > power is 100%) even though I'm still doing the Ah-Nold > thing. I > bring it back to mil (shut off the afterburner). About > now I get > another "Eject!" Call. > > "Nope, still flying." > > Deputy CAG (Deputy Carrier Air Group Commander) was > watching > and the further I got from the boat, the lower I looked. > About 5 miles, > I asked tower to please get the helo (rescue helicopter) > headed my way > as I truly thought I was going to be shelling out > (ejecting). At this point > I thought it would probably be a good idea to start > dumping some gas > (from the interenal fuel tanks). As my hand reached down > for the dump > switch I actually remembered that we have a NATOPS > prohibition regarding > dumping while in burner. After a second or two I > decided, "hell with that" > and turned them (dumps) on. I was later told I had a 60 > foot roman candle > going. > > At 7 miles I eventually started a (very slight) climb. A > little breathing > room. > CATCC (Carrier Air Traffic Control Center -- provides > radar control and > radar final approach control) chimes in with a downwind > heading and I'm > like: > "Ooh. Good idea," and throw down my hook. Eventually I > get headed > downwind at 900 feet and ask for a rep. While waiting I > shut down the > left engine. In short order I hear "Fuzz's" voice. > > I tell him the following: "OK Fuzz, my (landing) gear's > up, my left motor's > off > and I'm only able to stay level with min(imum) blower > (afterburner). > Every time I pull it to mil (shut off the afterburner) I > start about a > hundred feet per minute down." > > I continue trucking downwind trying to stay level and > keep dumping (fuel). > I think I must have been in blower for about fifteen > minutes. At ten miles > or so I'm down to 5000 pounds of gas and start a turn > back toward the > ship. Don't intend to land, but don't want to get too > far away, either. > Of course, as soon I as I start in an angle of bank, I > start dropping like > a stone so I end up doing a 5 mile circle around the > ship. Meanwhile, > Fuzz is reading me the single engine rate-of-climb > numbers from the PCL > based on temperature, etc. It doesn't take us long to > figure out that things > aren't adding up. So why the hell do I need blower to > stay level!? > > By this time I'm talking to Fuzz (CATCC) ), Deputy > (turning on the flight > deck > -- in an aircraft on the flight deck with the engine > running)) and CAG who's > > on > the bridge with the Captain. We decide that the thing to > do is climb to > three > thousand feet and dirty up (place landing gear and flaps > down). I get > headed > downwind, go full burner on my remaining motor and > eventually make it to > 2000 feet before leveling out below a scattered layer of > puffies. There's a > half a moon above which was really, really cool. Start a > turn back toward > the ship, and when I get pointed in the right direction, > I throw the > (landing) gear > down and pull the throttle out of AB (afterburner). > > Remember that flash/boom! That started this little tale? > Repeat it here. > Holy shit! I jam it back into AB and after three or four > huge compressor > stalls and accompanying decelleration, the right motor > comes back. > > This next part is great. You know those stories about > guys who dead-stick > (land with no engine power) crippled airplanes away from > orphanages and > puppy stores and stuff and get all this great media > attention? Well, at > this point > I'm looking at the picket ship (accompanying destroyer at > my left 11 at > about > two miles and I say on departure (radio) freq(uency) to > no one in > particular, > "You need to have the picket ship hang a left right now. > I think I'm gonna > be > outta here in a second." I said it very calmly but with > meaning. The LSO's > > said that > the picket immediately started pitching out of the fight. > Ha! I scored > major > points with the heavies afterwards for this. Anyway, > it's funny how your > mind > works in these situations. > > OK, so I'm dirty and I get it back level and pass a > couple miles up the > starboard side of the ship. I'm still in minimum blower > and my fuel > state is now about 2500 pounds. Hmmm. I hadn't really > thought about > running out of gas. I muster up the nads to pull it out > of blower > again and sure enough...flash, BOOM! YGTBSM! > > I leave it in mil and it seems to settle out. Eventually > discover that even > the tiniest throttle movements cause the flash/boom thing > to happen so > I'm trying to be as smooth as I can. I'm downwind a > couple miles when > CAG comes up and says "Oyster, we're going to rig the > barricade." (a > very tall cross-deck "fence" of vertical nylon straps > between horizontal > top and bottom cables rigged from vertical flight d eck > stanchions -- to > catch/land an airplane that cannot land normally or that > has an emergency > and only has one landing attempt left).Remember, CAG's up > on the > bridge watching me fly around doing blower donuts in the > sky and he's > thinking I'm gonna run outta JP-5 too. By now I've told > everyone who's > listening that there a better than average chance that > I'm going to be > ejecting - the helo bubbas, god bless 'em, have been > following me > around this entire time. > > I continue downwind and again, sounding more calm than I > probably was, > call paddles. "Paddles, you up?" > > "Go ahead" replies "Max," one of our CAG (Air Wing) LSO's > (Landing > Signal Officers). > > "Max, I probably know most of it but you wanna shoot me > the barricade > brief?" (Insert long pause here). After the fact, Max > told me they went > from expecting me to eject to me asking for the barricade > brief > (procedures for landing into the barricade) in about a > minute and he > was hyper-ventilating. He was awesome on the radio > though, just > the kind of voice you'd want to hear in this situation. > He gives me > the brief and at nine miles I say, "If I turn now, will > it be up when I > get there? I don't want to have to go around again." > > "It's going up now Oyster, go ahead and turn." > > "Turning in, say final bearing." > > "zero-six-three" replies the voice in CATCC. (Another > number I > remember - go figure). > > OK, we're on a four degree glide slope and I'm at 800 > feet or so. I > intercept glide slope at about a mile and three quarters > and pull > power. Flash/boom! Add power out of fear. Going high. > Pull power. > Flash/boom! Add power out of fear. Going higher. > (Flashback to LSO > school....All right class, today's lecture will be on the > single engine > barricade approach. Remember, the one place you really, > REALLY don't > want to be is high. Are there any questions?) The PLAT > video is most > excellent as each series of flash/booms shows up nicely > along with the > appropriate reflections on the water. "Flats," our other > CAG paddles > is backing up (helping the primary LSO) and as I start to > set up a > higher than desired sink rate he hits the "Eat At Joe's" > lights. Very > timely too. [note: wave-off lights - a guts-ball > decision] > > I stroke AB (to waive off) and cross the flight deck with > my right hand > on the stick and my left thinking about the little yellow > and black handle > between my legs (the "alternate" ejection handle). No > worries. I > cleared that sucker by at least ten feet. By the way my > (fuel) state at > the ball call was 1.1 1,100 pounds of fuel). As I slowly > climb out I say, > again to no one in particular, "I can do this." > > Max and Flats heard this and told me later it made them > feel much > better about my state of mind. I'm in blower still and > CAG says, "Turn > downwind." Again, good idea. After I get turned around > he says, > "Oyster, this is gonna be your last look (landing > attempt), so turn in > again as soon as you're comfortable." I lose about 200 > feet in the > turn and like a total dumbsh_t I look out as I get on > centerline and > that night thing (perception) about feeling high gets me > and I descend > further to 400 feet. I got kinda pissed at myself then > as I realized I > would now be intercepting (flying into) the four degree > glide slope > in the middle. > > No shit fellas, flash/boom every several seconds all the > way down. > Last look at my gas was 600-and-some pounds at a mile and > a half. "Where > am I on the glideslope Max?" I ask ask and hear a calm, > "Roger Ball." > > I know I'm low because the ILS (glide slope indicator) is > waaay up > there and I call "Clara" (I cant see the fresnel lens > indicator -- the > "ball" that tells you whether your aircraft is higher, > ok, or lower than > you should be). Can't remember what the response was but > by > now the ball's shooting up from the depths. I start > flying it and > before I get a chance to spot the deck. I hear "Cut, > cut, cut!" > I'm really glad I was a paddles (LSO) for so long > because my > mind said to me, "Do what he says Oyster," and I pulled > it (engine) > back to idle. The reason I mention this is that I felt > like I was > a LONG F$#@! WAYS OUT THERE - if you know what I > mean (my hook hit 11 Oyster paces from the ramp, as I > discovered during FOD walkdown today). > > The rest is pretty tame. I hit the deck, skipped the > one, the two, > and snagged the three (cross-deck arresting cable) (with > the > aircraft tail hook) and rolled into the barricade about a > foot right of > centerline. Once stopped my vocal chords involuntarily > yelled > "Victory!" On button 2 (radio channel no. 2) (the 14 > guys who were > listening in marshal > said it was pretty cool. After the fact I wish I had > done the Austin > Powers' "Yeah Baby!" Thing.) The lights came up and off > to my right there > must have been a ga-zillion cranials. Paddles said that > with my shutdown > you could hear a huge cheer across the flight deck. I > open the canopy and > start putting my sh_t in my helmet bag and the first guy > I see is our > Flight Deck Chief, huge guy named Chief Richards and he > gives me the > coolest look and then two thumbs up. I will remember it > forever. > Especially since I'm the Maintenance Officer. I climb > down and people > are gathering around patting me on the back when one of > the boat's > crusty yellow-shirt chiefs interrupts and says, > "Gentlemen, great job > but fourteen of your good buddies are still up there and > we need to > get them aboard." Again, priceless. > > So there you have it fellas. Here I sit with my little > pink body in a > ready room chair on the same tub I did my first cruise in > 10 years and > 7 months ago. And I thought it was exciting back then! > > P. S. You're probably wondering what made my motors sh_t > themselves > and I almost forgot to tell you. Remember the scene with > the foreboding > music? When they taxied that last Hornet - the one that > was over the > cat track - they forgot to remove a section or two of the > cat seal (very > heavy strip of rubber that is placed into the catapult > tracks when not in > operation). The [flight mishap] board's not finished yet, > but it's a done > deal. As > the shuttle came back it removed the cat seal which went > (into the engine > air intakes and) down both motors during the (catapult) > stroke. During the > waveoff, one of the LSO's saw "about thirty feet" of > black rubber hanging > off the left side of the airplane. The whole left side, > including inside the > intake is basically black where the rubber was beating > on it in the breeze. > The right motor, the one that kept running, has 340 major > hits to all > stages. > The compressor section is trashed and best of all, it had > two pieces of the > cat seal -one about 2 feet and the other about 4 feet > long --sticking out > of the first stage and into the intake. God Bless > General Electric! > > P. P.S. By the way, the data showed that I was fat - had > 380 pounds of > gas when I shut down. Again, remember this number as in > ten years I > will surely be claiming, FUMES MAN, FUMES I TELL YOU! > > Oyster out... > > - - - - > > This is a good story that describes what most of us don't > see/hear > about from those out there on the pointy tip of the > spear. Sleep well at > night because the good guys are out there keeping things > safe for us > here at home. > Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Wed Feb 22 23:06:58 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Wed Feb 22 23:07:38 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] interesting info about pharmacy mark-ups Message-ID: <46d72e000602222006q70a6cbb4wbc355256b2f0565d@mail.gmail.com> http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/generic.asp Later, Daniel From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Thu Feb 23 02:02:11 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 23 02:02:49 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hitch Message-ID: <43FD5DF3.1030801@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Hitchens: "It is best not to mince words. The imprisonment of David Irving by the Austrian authorities is a disgrace." http://sixtiessurvivor.org/shockhorror/node/105 -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Thu Feb 23 08:30:48 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Thu Feb 23 08:32:48 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hitch In-Reply-To: <43FD5DF3.1030801@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IV500CEV6VD3OY2@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 02:02:11 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >Hitchens: > >"It is best not to mince words. The imprisonment of David Irving by >the Austrian authorities is a disgrace." > >http://sixtiessurvivor.org/shockhorror/node/105 Would the President of Iran please visit Austria? Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Thu Feb 23 18:46:08 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Thu Feb 23 19:14:57 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hey you Ohioans Message-ID: <46d72e000602231546k4312652ax9f0b1ee4c0f8efa0@mail.gmail.com> Ken Blackwell for governor. Are there any Ohioans on this list? Later, Daniel From prather.js at verizon.net Thu Feb 23 19:23:11 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Thu Feb 23 19:23:57 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hey you Ohioans In-Reply-To: <46d72e000602231546k4312652ax9f0b1ee4c0f8efa0@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <0IV600CTZ12L9695@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 17:46:08 -0600, Daniel Kruse wrote: >Are there any Ohioans on this list? Are you not aware of Dennis????? Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Thu Feb 23 19:27:48 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Thu Feb 23 19:28:58 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hey you Ohioans In-Reply-To: <0IV600CTZ12L9695@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> References: <46d72e000602231546k4312652ax9f0b1ee4c0f8efa0@mail.gmail.com> <0IV600CTZ12L9695@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <46d72e000602231627m41928b62r17340dafcea6068f@mail.gmail.com> On 2/23/06, Jerry Prather wrote: > On Thu, 23 Feb 2006 17:46:08 -0600, Daniel Kruse wrote: > > >Are there any Ohioans on this list? > > Are you not aware of Dennis????? > > > Jerry > That wasn't Indiana? Oops, sorry. Any additional Ohioans out there? Daniel From dep at drippingwithirony.com Thu Feb 23 19:40:34 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Thu Feb 23 19:40:57 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Hey you Ohioans In-Reply-To: <46d72e000602231546k4312652ax9f0b1ee4c0f8efa0@mail.gmail.com> References: <46d72e000602231546k4312652ax9f0b1ee4c0f8efa0@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <200602231940.34309.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Daniel Kruse: | Ken Blackwell for governor. yup. absolutely. -- dep It is the main earthly business of a human being to make his home, and the immediate surroundings of his home, as symbolic and significant to his own imagination as he can. -- G. K. Chesterton From prather.js at verizon.net Thu Feb 23 20:56:18 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Thu Feb 23 20:56:58 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Iranian Censors... Message-ID: <0IV60093L5DVD382@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> News to me, but not entirely surprising, is the following quote from the March issue of JAZZIZ magazine: "Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered enactment of a ruling to ban Western music from Iran radio and television stations in December, recalling the Ayatollah Khomeini's similar cultural decree after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Under the ban, songs by pop stars Eric Clapton and The Eagles, plus Iran favorites by contemporary jazz saxophonist Kenny G, would no longer be allowed on the airwaves. [So far, so good. He is exhibiting some good taste in his specifics. ] "'Blocking indecent and Western music from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting is required," states the Iran Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council's official website. "Supervision of content from films, TV series, and their voice-overs is emphasized in order to support spiritual cinema and to eliminate triteness and violence."' The last sentence is particularly grating due to all the violence in the Islamic world over the "cartoons". We should have supressed the cartoons just as they are suppressing music??? And it's okay that they blow up mosques of another sect as long as they don't show an image of the Prophet while in the act? I don't get these nuts. Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From m.o.davis at gte.net Thu Feb 23 21:18:42 2006 From: m.o.davis at gte.net (Mark Davis) Date: Thu Feb 23 21:19:57 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Shooting Match References: Message-ID: <9A393910-E660-4ECB-82F9-92359264DA26@gte.net> Begin forwarded message: > A game to hone your skills! > You will like this and so will the kids. Its just too perfect > > http://www.quailhuntingschool.com/flash.php -- Mark Davis San Angelo, TX From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Thu Feb 23 21:31:47 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 23 21:31:57 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Ann Coulter. Who else? Message-ID: <43FE7013.7030804@bernstein.providence.ri.us> "Two days after the Times editorial page justified its decision not to reprint the cartoons as "a reasonable choice for news organizations that usually refrain from gratuitous assaults on religious symbols, especially since the cartoons are so easy to describe in words," the Times ran a photo of the Virgin Mary covered in cutouts from pornographic magazines and cow dung -- which I seem to have just described using a handful of common words! Gee, that was easy!" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20060223/cm_ucac/sothreemuslimswalkintoaport -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Thu Feb 23 21:41:38 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 23 21:41:59 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Fwd: Shooting Match In-Reply-To: <9A393910-E660-4ECB-82F9-92359264DA26@gte.net> References: <9A393910-E660-4ECB-82F9-92359264DA26@gte.net> Message-ID: <43FE7262.8050508@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Mark Davis wrote: >> http://www.quailhuntingschool.com/flash.php My faith in, and hope for, Western Civilization, have been renewed! -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com Thu Feb 23 21:43:43 2006 From: daniel.lee.kruse at gmail.com (Daniel Kruse) Date: Thu Feb 23 21:44:59 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Ann Coulter. Who else? In-Reply-To: <43FE7013.7030804@bernstein.providence.ri.us> References: <43FE7013.7030804@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <46d72e000602231843v6ac5a6c8rab859b2ab4debf@mail.gmail.com> On 2/23/06, Bob Bernstein wrote: > "Two days after the Times editorial page justified its decision not to > reprint the cartoons as "a reasonable choice for news organizations > that usually refrain from gratuitous assaults on religious symbols, > especially since the cartoons are so easy to describe in words," the > Times ran a photo of the Virgin Mary covered in cutouts from > pornographic magazines and cow dung -- which I seem to have just > described using a handful of common words! Gee, that was easy!" > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20060223/cm_ucac/sothreemuslimswalkintoaport > > > -- > Bob Bernstein > Excellent, as always. Daniel From zoidberg at legomenon.org Thu Feb 23 23:52:55 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Thu Feb 23 23:54:02 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Iranian Censors... In-Reply-To: <0IV60093L5DVD382@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IV60093L5DVD382@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <37467.70.172.219.12.1140756775.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Thu, February 23, 2006 8:56 pm, Jerry Prather said: > And it's okay that they blow up mosques of another sect as long as > they don't show an image of the Prophet while in the act? > > I don't get these nuts. Recall how, only recently, Roundheads and Cavaliers put their lives on the line for their "sect." Recall too, how Locke, his magnificent Letter On Toleration notwithstanding, surely would not have countenanced public teaching of atheism or Mohammedanism. It is for such considerations that I called Hitchens' piece "a marvelous document." http://sixtiessurvivor.org/shockhorror/node/105 He reminds us that much of what we value as the core of "civilization" has only been extant since the eighteenth century: "I myself once sued Henry Kissinger, and made him retract a charge of Holocaust denial he had foolishly made against me, but I would never have seen him imprisoned (or not for his opinions, at any rate). This distinction is vital, and is one of the crucial elements of what we still quaintly call "the Enlightenment."" This correctly sets the terms of the the struggle: the imams vs. the Enlightenment. You can be certain the imams see it likewise; that is what explains the diligence with which they have stirred the 'Arab street,' taking crafty advantage of the cartoon issue. Their controlling grasp over the lives of millions of believers is at stake, and they know it. That Austria, and now, today, Germany, have imprisoned perpetrators of thought crimes calls attention to their unremitted Enlightenment deficits. If there is such a thing as historical pathology, those outposts of Europe certainly manifest it. -- Bob Bernstein How is gravity to clothe itself if jest goes about in dark veils? -- Robert Schumann From dep at drippingwithirony.com Fri Feb 24 13:47:56 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Fri Feb 24 13:50:13 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] curling Message-ID: <200602241347.56651.dep@drippingwithirony.com> well, it's all but over. the canadians, who are very good at sliding rocks with handles on them over carefully prepared ice, scored 6 just now, taking them to 10-3 over finland. (linux users: carefully check any commits linus makes today -- he might be so distraught that he reformats the internet.) can;t wait for the summer olympics and that other interesting game, where they throw a telephone pole about a foot. -- dep To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it. -- G. K. Chesterton From zoidberg at legomenon.org Fri Feb 24 19:49:11 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Fri Feb 24 19:50:18 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Trial of the (short) Century? Message-ID: <43071.70.172.219.12.1140828551.squirrel@legomenon.org> This is getting byzantine, the prelims for Scooter's trial, set for Jan, 2007: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060225/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/cia_leak "Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, charged with perjury in the CIA leak case, cannot be told the identity of another government official who is said to have divulged a CIA operative's identity to reporters, a federal judge ruled Friday." And, why is it that, with every new mention of Mr. Fitzgerald, I become more and more convinced that the man is a dangerous moron? "Libby's lawyers and Fitzgerald disagreed over whether the unidentified government official ? who does not work at the White House ? was referring to Plame or her husband when he said, "Everyone knows," during a taped interview with investigators. "The defense said the official meant that most reporters knew that Plame worked at the CIA, as Libby testified before a federal grand jury. But Fitzgerald said the reference was to Wilson, who was not identified in initial media reports about the trip to Niger." Huh? At any rate, it seems that all Scooter has to do is show that his defense is impossible without all sorts of really really secret stuff -- the daily briefings -- that he knows W. will never hand over. Here's Reggie Walton, the judge in the case: "The vice president ? his boss ? said these are the family jewels," the judge said, referring to Cheney's past description of the daily briefings. "If the executive branch says, 'This is too important to the welfare of the nation and we're not going to comply,' the criminal prosecution goes away." But let me ask: how does a guy named "Reggie" get to be a judge? I went to school with a guy named Reggie, and the only he was any good at was playing hockey: a sport which puts a premium on slippery, deceptive behaviour. If you ever saw Gordie Howe or the great Camille Henry of the Rangers, you'd understand what I'm telling you! Judge Reggie??? -- Bob Bernstein How is gravity to clothe itself if jest goes about in dark veils? -- Robert Schumann From spmaiorca at cox.net Fri Feb 24 21:44:06 2006 From: spmaiorca at cox.net (spmaiorca@cox.net) Date: Fri Feb 24 21:46:20 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Trial of the (short) Century? Message-ID: <20060225024215.YCIZ20050.fed1rmmtao06.cox.net@[172.18.180.8]> > > From: "Bob Bernstein" > Date: 2006/02/24 Fri PM 04:49:11 PST > To: os2-right-stuff-l@jtan.com > Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] The Trial of the (short) Century? > > This is getting byzantine, the prelims for Scooter's It's Eastern Roman Empire.... -Patrick From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sat Feb 25 01:33:16 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 25 01:38:31 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Today's must-read. Message-ID: <43FFFA2C.6070809@bernstein.providence.ri.us> "...four rabbis [are] debating an obscure point of law. Rabbi Feinstein is outvoted 3-1, and prays for a sign from above. A heavenly voice announces, "Feinstein is right!" The other rabbis shrug, "So now it's 3-2." "What we learn...is that a sense of divine presence is what makes the Devil's sourdough digestible." The latest from Spengler: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/HB22Aa02.html -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sat Feb 25 15:55:55 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 25 15:56:37 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Michael who? Message-ID: <4400C45B.2050106@bernstein.providence.ri.us> File under: Just shoot me now, please. >From an AP story today: "Security is everybody's business," senior vice president [of DP World] Michael Moore told The Associated Press. "We're going to have a very open mind to legitimate concerns. But anything we can do, any way to improve security, should apply to everybody equally." Arrggghhhh. This story is notable too as an example of the brazenness with which reporters now trumpet their leaking of classified material: "The report concluded that U.S. spy agencies were "unable to locate any derogatory information on the company," according to a person familiar with the document. This person spoke only on condition of anonymity because the report was classified." Translation: "Hey everybody! Look here! I've got someone to talk TO ME about what's in a classified report! Look at me!!! Look at me!!! Oh, by the way, did I mention? THE REPORT WAS CLASSIFIED!!! WOOPEEE!!!!" http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060225/ap_on_go_pr_wh/ports_security -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From prather.js at verizon.net Sat Feb 25 16:40:45 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sat Feb 25 16:41:37 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Michael who? In-Reply-To: <4400C45B.2050106@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <0IV9000NSIVVXRN0@vms044.mailsrvcs.net> On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:55:55 -0500, Bob Bernstein wrote: >Look at me!!! Look at me!!! Oh, >by the way, did I mention? THE REPORT WAS CLASSIFIED!!! WOOPEEE!!!!" Fry him for disclosing information he knew to be classified. Our federal prosecutors have no guts when the press is involved. :-( (And when was the last time a leaker was honestly nailed???) Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us Sat Feb 25 18:33:49 2006 From: rs at bernstein.providence.ri.us (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 25 18:33:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Really? Who knew? Message-ID: <4400E95D.1080107@bernstein.providence.ri.us> "...the most comprehensive and reliable reporting on this entire episode came not from the Boston Globe or the New York Times, but from the part-time student editors of the [Harvard] Crimson." Gee, what a shock. Really? Who knew? -=snip=- The Weekly Standard Harvard Lays an Egg The triumph of the diversity faction and the fall of Larry Summers by James Piereson 03/06/2006, Volume 011, Issue 24 When the late Allan Bloom visited the Harvard campus some years ago to deliver a speech on his bestselling book The Closing of the American Mind, he began his remarks with the salutation, "Fellow Elitists," a takeoff on Franklin Roosevelt's address years earlier to the nativist Daughters of the American Revolution which he introduced with the words, "Fellow Immigrants." Bloom was having some fun at the expense of Harvard's students and faculty, all of whom had competed mightily to gain entrance to one of the most selective and prestigious colleges in the world, only to turn around once there to adopt a posture of thoughtless egalitarianism. He was also making the deeper point that higher education ought to involve the pursuit of excellence rather than of vulgar equality or "diversity." Bloom's indictment came to mind with the news of the forced resignation of Lawrence Summers from the presidency of Harvard University. Summers, perhaps in a somewhat ham-fisted style, had tried to make the case for excellence at Harvard but generated furious resistance and opposition in the process. His ouster speaks volumes about the anti-intellectualism that is engulfing Harvard and others of our great academic institutions. Summers's resignation, to be sure, came as no surprise. The announcement even seemed anticlimactic in view of the battle that had been waged against him for more than a year by activists on the arts and sciences faculty. Given this strife, it was perhaps inevitable that members of the Harvard Corporation, the university's governing body, would sooner or later ask him to step aside. His term in office, which began with such promise, thus ended prematurely after just five years, the shortest of any presidential tenure at Harvard in more than a century. When Summers departs in June, he will be replaced on an interim basis by Derek Bok, who will turn 76 in March, and who was himself president from 1971 to 1991. Still, notwithstanding its inevitability, the end of the Summers presidency marks a sad day for higher education. Despite all the talk about his abrasive personality and headstrong management style, Summers was a casualty of the left-wing ideological standards erected by Harvard's arts and sciences faculty. The historian Bernard DeVoto wrote decades ago that the Harvard he knew was "a republic within the Republic, a church that cuts across the churches, a class drawn from all classes." That ideal now seems far beyond our reach. The Harvard on display during the Summers ordeal resembles more a mad collection of petty interests pushing and pulling on one another for money, position, and advantage. There are certainly many lessons to be learned from this debacle, but two immediately stand out: first, that our major academic institutions are run by their faculties, not by trustees or students, or by donors or alumni; and, second, that the activist members of faculties will not accept from presidents (or deans or provosts) any contradiction of cherished ideological assumptions, most of which revolve around the magical word "diversity." Presidents at other institutions, and administrators harboring aspirations for advancement to presidential posts, are bound to take note of Summers's downfall, and will certainly take steps to avoid a similar fate. Summers was appointed in 2001, the 27th in a line of presidents that stretches back to Harvard's founding in 1636. He came to the post with a reputation as something of a wunderkind in the fields of economics and finance: one of the youngest individuals in modern history to win tenure at Harvard, the first social scientist to receive the prestigious Alan T. Waterman award from the National Science Foundation, winner of the John Bates Clark medal given by the American Economics Association to the outstanding American economist under the age of 40. By 45 he had served as chief economist of the World Bank, undersecretary of the treasury for international affairs, and, finally, secretary of the treasury in the Clinton administration. His impressive record, however, was accompanied by a reputation for brashness and blunt-speaking that many warned would lead to trouble in academe, where sensitivity and consultation trump just about every other virtue. Summers's appointment was initially hailed as a sign that Harvard wished to renew a tradition of having as its president an educational visionary who might be a reformer in Cambridge but also a national spokesman for the ideals of higher education. His arrival on campus was thus something of a slap at Neil Rudenstine, his publicly diffident predecessor, who had himself run afoul of important faculty interests with the suggestion that Harvard should amend its ancient financial rule of "every tub on its own bottom." At most institutions, presidents are expected to be fundraisers and managers rather than intellectual spokesmen, but Harvard with its $26 billion endowment could afford a leader who might communicate ideas instead of romancing potential donors full time. The thought that Summers might be the modern day equivalent of nationally influential presidents like Charles William Eliot (1869-1909) or James Bryant Conant (1933-53) was perhaps naive in view of the changes of the past half-century--in particular the emergence of an assertive and highly politicized faculty. Nevertheless, Summers gave it a good try. In an early address, he laid out an ambitious (and admirable) agenda for strengthening undergraduate education, recruiting outstanding young scholars who might begin to replace a rapidly aging tenured faculty, and turning Harvard into an institution that tolerates a spectrum of controversial ideas. Summers, moreover, made clear early and often that he was devoted to a meritocratic ideal that required the recruitment of the best scholars in the world. Yet he may not have fully realized that such a commitment put him on a collision course with parts of the faculty just as fully committed to an egalitarian conception of the university. Summers's background as a political appointee in Washington may have been poor preparation for a modern college president. He would have learned there that just about every position taken generates adversaries from the opposition party but also allies from one's own. As a Democrat, moreover, he would have also seen that opposition came generally from conservatives. The world of national politics encourages disagreement, debate, and opposition as instruments of effective policy. None of these lessons applied at Harvard, where a controversial position would generate nothing but opposition, important disagreements were suppressed or ruled out of bounds, and the political spectrum was distorted far to the left. He had been used to operating as a liberal, but now found himself on unfamiliar ground as a moderate or-heaven forbid!--a conservative. Summers's major sin in the eyes of the liberal and left-wing faculty was his insensitivity to the diversity regime that has taken over at Harvard and just about every other major institution in the country. This regime is propped up by mythical presumptions, the major one being that the United States has been guilty of oppressing or otherwise holding back various groups, especially blacks, women, homosexuals, American Indians, people of Hispanic origin, and others who make up perhaps 75 percent of our population. These groups, so the argument goes, are owed special consideration on the campus by virtue of their victimization, which means in practice that no one is allowed to question their oppressed status, their claims to special consideration, or their privilege to complain about any institutional practice that they find inconvenient. The diversity industry that has grown up around the campus asserts (without any evidence) that a departure from proportional representation in any field or department is, ipso facto, evidence of discrimination. This is why there exist preferential hiring practices for women and minority groups on every campus, and various scholarship programs, publications, study centers, and curricular offerings designed specifically for every designated group. All have created their own advocacy groups to press their claims, the most influential one on the Harvard Campus being the Women's Caucus of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Most intelligent people understand that these practices have been carried beyond the point of absurdity but have no idea how to rein them in. Summers, as it turned out, endorsed the diversity regime in the abstract (otherwise he could never have been hired) but, given his simultaneous belief in excellence, could not help but take steps or make comments that contradicted it. Summers's transgressions began shortly after he took office, when he challenged Cornel West, a member of the Afro-American Studies Department, to pay more attention to scholarship than to making recordings of rap music-a seemingly appropriate and innocuous charge for a president to give to a faculty member. Yet West took offense, as did others on the faculty, on the grounds that Summers had been racially insensitive and had no right to chastise a member of the faculty about his research. For his pains, West was inundated with handsome offers from other institutions, and shortly headed off to Princeton. Summers next gained public attention by observing that efforts to force the university to divest investments from companies doing business with Israel were, as he said, "anti-Semitic in their effect if not in their intent." Critics on the faculty denounced this accurate statement as "inflammatory"--while ignoring the inflammatory actions that had provoked it. Summers later spoke warmly about the American military, expressed support for our soldiers in the field, and called for the return of ROTC to the campus--all of which further inflamed left-wing elements on the faculty. Then, early last year, Summers dropped the bomb that would lead directly to his ouster. Speaking at a research conference on the subject "Diversifying the Science and Engineering Workforce," he suggested, citing research literature, that the paucity of female professors in fields like physics, astronomy, and mathematics was due less to discrimination and more to career choices, the unwillingness to put in "80 hour weeks" and differences in "aptitude" between the sexes. He called for more research on the subject, though his critics on the faculty, outraged by the suggestion that there might be deep differences between men and women, insisted that it was wrong for the president to call for research on a subject about which they had made up their minds. Summers's remarks, which lasted forty minutes, were a broadside, from the point of view of an economist, against the central premises of the diversity ideology. Many factors other than discrimination, he said, account for group disparities in various occupations, and it is impossible to engineer representational equality in a marketplace in which people are constantly making independent choices as to how to allocate time and money. Summers's assessment was obviously true, but it was also one that left-wing faculty members, particularly feminists, did not wish to hear. The fallout from these remarks is vivid evidence that, of all the victim groups on campus, the feminists wield by far the greatest influence. It is unfortunate that in response to heated criticisms Summers chose to apologize for his remarks instead of defending them on intellectual grounds. Within a week, he issued an abject apology. "I deeply regret the impact of my comments," he said, "and apologize for not having weighed them more carefully." He went on to say that he regretted sending an "unintended signal" that might discourage talented women from pursuing careers in science. Summers was obviously in internal conflict over the diversity issue, one day attacking its central presumptions while the next apologizing for having so offended key groups on campus. The episode was a boon for the feminist groups, so much so that one suspects they worked overtime to keep the controversy alive in order to extract maximum concessions from their mortally wounded president. Soon, Summers appointed historian Drew Faust to head an initiative to improve the status of women in the university. She remarked at the time that Summers's talk had created "a moment of enormous possibility" for women on the campus. Next a new "deanship of diversity" was created to advise the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on issues of importance to women and minorities. Then, a few months later, Summers announced an initiative to spend $50 million over the next decade to increase the number of women on Harvard's faculty. Summers was plainly working overtime to make amends to those whom he had offended, though it would have been better if he had stood his ground. He might not thereby have saved his job, but he at least would have opened the way for a genuine debate over diversity, which will no doubt be driven underground once more in the wake of this episode. The apologies and concessions did Summers little good, for the advocates of diversity on campus will tolerate nothing less than wholehearted endorsement of their aims. The uproar led to three tumultuous meetings of the arts and sciences faculty in which Summers was denounced for his remarks about women and science, for his (alleged) imperious management style, and for his violation of the norms of the campus "community"--this last a code word for speaking contrary to the diversity regime. In the last of these meetings, last March, the faculty passed an unprecedented resolution of "no confidence" by a vote of 218 to 185. As Professor Alan Dershowitz has pointed out, the resolution originally contained an explanatory note (later removed) that justified the action in terms of the president's "ongoing convictions about the capacities and rights not only of women but also of African Americans, third-world nations, gay people, and colonized peoples." This note, as Dershowitz concludes, made it clear that Summers's main fault in the eyes of the faculty was that he was not sympathetic to the diversity agenda. No matter how often he apologized, Summers could not remove the stain he had acquired in the eyes of his adversaries. His apologies and concessions, meanwhile, discouraged erstwhile supporters. Over the past several months, Summers operated more or less defensively, guarding his public comments, occasionally making light of his mistakes, and hoping that ill-feeling among the faculty would subside so that the university could get on with its business. It was an idle wish. The angry recriminations surfaced again a few weeks ago after Summers forced out William Kirby, the popular dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, apparently for failure to advance the president's goals for reforming the general education curriculum. The arts and sciences faculty called another meeting to consider a second vote of no confidence. At this point, members of the Harvard Corporation, particularly Robert Rubin, a Summers supporter and his predecessor as secretary of the treasury, began to canvass faculty members about the depth of their opposition. This, to Summers, must have appeared an obvious sign that he had lost the support of the Corporation. Given the capitulation of the university's governing body, he had little choice but to resign or to be fired. There are some, both on and off the campus, who will now look to the Harvard Corporation as a source of level-headed guidance for the institution. The Corporation, established by the original charter of the college, is a seven-member governing board consisting of five self-appointed "fellows" plus the president and treasurer of the institution. Yet those who look to this secretive body for leadership are likely to be disappointed, for it is plain that the members of the Corporation greased the skids for Summers's fall, taking their cues from disgruntled members of the arts and sciences faculty and failing to consult with students or with deans and faculty members in the various professional schools. One explanation for its unhelpful role in this fiasco is that the Corporation itself seems fully committed to the diversity regime that drove Summers from office. There are two liberal Democrats on the panel, Robert Rubin and Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute in Washington, both of whom are policy wonks in the Summers mold. There appears to be a "feminist" seat on the board, currently occupied by Nannerl Keohane, formerly president of Wellesley and later of Duke, who replaced Hanna Holborn Gray, retired president of the University of Chicago. It also appears that there is a "black" seat on the Corporation, which was occupied until late last year by Conrad K. Harper, a New York lawyer, who resigned in protest against statements Summers had made about women and minorities. He was replaced recently by Patricia King, Georgetown University law professor and wife of the left-wing author Roger Wilkins. King is a feminist activist who in 1991 testified against confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. More recently she was one of the signers of a petition at Georgetown calling on Congress "to repeal the disgraceful Solomon amendment" (which requires universities to permit military recruiters on campus or lose federal funding) and reaffirming the faculty's opposition to military recruiting on campus. King, who takes her post in the spring, seems an unlikely ally for any president in the Summers mold. The membership of the Corporation, in other words, runs the gamut of political opinion from A to B, from liberal Democrat to left-wing Democrat, and seeks to represent the same groups as are active on the arts and sciences faculty. It stands to reason that they would be willing to force out their president. Nevertheless, important positive elements emerged from the Harvard crisis. Summers was ousted through an arrangement between the Corporation and the arts and sciences faculty, but he maintained strong support from the deans of the professional schools, including David Ellwood of the Kennedy School, Elena Kagan of the law school, and Jay Light of the business school. Many alumni and important donors to the university could not understand why a president with Summers's credentials should be driven out on the basis of the charges made by his faculty adversaries. Harvard's students, moreover, in a poll conducted by the Harvard Crimson, supported Summers by a ratio of 3 to 1. Many noted that they liked Summers, saw him frequently on the campus, and felt that he was an effective leader for the institution. The Crimson itself editorialized in favor of Summers, opposed his ouster, and said that the university was the loser by his departure. It should be noted that the most comprehensive and reliable reporting on this entire episode came not from the Boston Globe or the New York Times, but from the part-time student editors of the Crimson. The younger generation may not buy into the diversity mythology as their professors do. Indeed, perhaps today's students, along with others who believe in liberal education, can take heart from the words of the late historian Richard Hofstadter. Speaking at commencement exercises at Columbia University in 1968 shortly after student radicals shut down the institution, he said, "A university is not a service station. Neither is it a political society, nor a meeting place for political societies. With all its limitations and failures, and they are invariably many, it is the best and most benign side of our society insofar as that society aims to cherish the human mind." He went on to say that the university is "a center of free inquiry and criticism-a thing not to be sacrificed for anything else." We have gone a long way toward sacrificing it, but out of the wreckage of this sad affair we may begin to see a way back. James Piereson is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute in New York. ? Copyright 2005, News Corporation, Weekly Standard, All Rights Reserved. -=snip=- http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/011/910qpiiz.asp?pg=1 -- Bob Bernstein A person of great honour in Ireland (who was pleased to stoop so low as to look into my mind) used to tell me that my mind was like a conjured spirit, that would do mischief if I did not give it employment. Jonathan Swift From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sat Feb 25 19:26:46 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sat Feb 25 19:26:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Michael who? In-Reply-To: <4400C45B.2050106@bernstein.providence.ri.us> References: <4400C45B.2050106@bernstein.providence.ri.us> Message-ID: <200602251926.47043.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Bob Bernstein: | Translation: "Hey everybody! Look here! I've got someone to talk TO | ME about what's in a classified report! Look at me!!! Look at me!!! | Oh, by the way, did I mention? THE REPORT WAS CLASSIFIED!!! | WOOPEEE!!!!" well, now, i agree with you as to releasing classified stuff just because you got access to some classified stuff. on the other hand, from a story of my very own, published in november 1988: The afternoon of March 7, two divers visited what was known as "Target 67." (Neither the number nor its location -- 400 yards northeast of the Hetzel Shoals buoy, about 15 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral -- appears in official lists of sonar contacts made during the search, and for reasons not easily discerned, these data remain classified.) Lewis Brinn, the boat's first mate, and a diver named Terry Bailey saw it as another routine, low-priority dive. Maybe they'd get lucky and find large pieces of the Tracking and Data Relay satellite, which NASA seemed eager to recover. -- dep A hundred mad dogs of heresy have worried man from the beginning; but it was always the dog that died. -- G. K. Chesterton From prather.js at verizon.net Sat Feb 25 19:34:43 2006 From: prather.js at verizon.net (Jerry Prather) Date: Sat Feb 25 19:35:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Michael who? In-Reply-To: <200602251926.47043.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <0IV90096RQY1D16A@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 19:26:46 -0500, dep wrote: >The afternoon of March 7, two divers visited what was known as "Target >67." (Neither the number nor its location -- 400 yards northeast of the >Hetzel Shoals buoy, about 15 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral -- >appears in official lists of sonar contacts made during the search, and >for reasons not easily discerned, these data remain classified.) Lewis >Brinn, the boat's first mate, and a diver named Terry Bailey saw it as >another routine, low-priority dive. Maybe they'd get lucky and find >large pieces of the Tracking and Data Relay satellite, which NASA >seemed eager to recover. ???? SO???? What are you implying? What are you disclosing? Careful, Dennis, you're acting like a journalist... Jerry -- "We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets." B. Franklin From zoidberg at legomenon.org Sat Feb 25 19:41:03 2006 From: zoidberg at legomenon.org (Bob Bernstein) Date: Sat Feb 25 19:46:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Michael who? In-Reply-To: <200602251926.47043.dep@drippingwithirony.com> References: <4400C45B.2050106@bernstein.providence.ri.us> <200602251926.47043.dep@drippingwithirony.com> Message-ID: <49650.70.172.219.12.1140914463.squirrel@legomenon.org> On Sat, February 25, 2006 7:26 pm, dep said: > well, now, i agree with you as to releasing classified stuff just > because you got access to some classified stuff. on the other hand, > from a story of my very own, published in november 1988: C'mon now, you're not one to pussyfoot around; what are you saying? In plain fly-over country English! -- Bob Bernstein How is gravity to clothe itself if jest goes about in dark veils? -- Robert Schumann From dep at drippingwithirony.com Sat Feb 25 19:53:59 2006 From: dep at drippingwithirony.com (dep) Date: Sat Feb 25 19:53:40 2006 Subject: [os2-right-stuff-l] Michael who? In-Reply-To: <0IV90096RQY1D16A@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> References: <0IV90096RQY1D16A@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> Message-ID: <200602251953.59621.dep@drippingwithirony.com> quoth Jerry Prather: | On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 19:26:46 -0500, dep wrote: | >The afternoon of March 7, two divers visited what was known as | > "Target 67." (Neither the number nor its location -- 400 yards | > northeast of the Hetzel Shoals buoy, about 15 miles northeast of | > Cape Canaveral -- appears in official lists of sonar contacts made | > during the search, and for reasons not easily discerned, these data | > remain classified.) Lewis Brinn, the boat's first mate, and a diver | > named T