Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Republican Plan for Women's Health

Palin and McCain's Disregard for Women's Health: "The Republican platform seeks a constitutional amendment banning all abortions -- with no exceptions for rape and incest, and no exception to save the life of the woman"

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Army Concerned Paper Could be Used by Terrorists: NYT

According to Pentagon sources, intelligence chiefs are increasingly concerned about the potential use of paper as a means of communication by terrorists. One senior insider told the New York Tribune: "The concern is that, when combined with ink, and these things called stamps and envelopes, ordinary sheets of paper could easily become what we call a covert channel of communication." While the official admitted that this technique would lack the speed of computers and phones, he added "The ability to get your message delivered under even the worst weather conditions makes this a very powerful weapon for the terrorist."

Security experts we spoke with agreed that paper could one day show up in the terrorist arsenal. According to cryptography guru Brian Wrankler, "As a means of communication between persons or people, paper supports use of the only encryption system known to be unbreakable, the one-time pad."

Given paper's enormous potential for abuse, we asked Homeland Security if there were plans to ban paper or limit its sale. While nobody would comment for the record, one senior official hinted that a system for tracking paper purchases was in development and could possibly be interfaced with customer reward card programs at major suppliers such as Staples and Office Depot. Neither store responded to our inquiries although one local Staples manager said the idea of his company telling the government who was buying paper was "Totally absurd."
...

Pennsylvania Republicans Equate Obama with Hitler?

Pennsylvania Republicans Send False Anti-Obama E-mail - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com:

"A new e-mail making the rounds among Jewish voters in Pennsylvania this week...equated a vote for Senator Barack Obama with the “tragic mistake” of their Jewish ancestors, who “ignored the warning signs in the 1930’s and 1940’s.”"

Surely you get an immediate disqualification as "Unfit to Rule" if you or your campaign send out a message, in 2008, purportedly written from one Jewish person to another, that reads: "Many of our ancestors ignored the warning signs in the 1930s and 1940s and made a tragic mistake. Let's not make a similar one this year!"
...

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Fart-alicious Hydrogen Sulfide Eases Blood Pressure?

Hydrogen Sulfide Key Player in Blood Pressure Regulation - washingtonpost.com: "Cells inside the blood vessels of mice -- and probably humans -- naturally make the gas hydrogen sulfide, which helps regulate blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels, according to an international team of scientists."
...

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Bank Bailout = Corporate Giveaway

So When Will Banks Give Loans? - NYTimes.com: "“Twenty-five billion dollars is obviously going to help the folks who are struggling more than Chase,” he began. “What we do think it will help us do is perhaps be a little bit more active on the acquisition side or opportunistic side for some banks who are still struggling. And I would not assume that we are done on the acquisition side just because of the Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns mergers. I think there are going to be some great opportunities for us to grow in this environment, and I think we have an opportunity to use that $25 billion in that way and obviously depending on whether recession turns into depression or what happens in the future, you know, we have that as a backstop.”"

Korg OT120 from zZounds.com!

Korg OT120 from zZounds.com!

Korg OT120 from zZounds.com!

Korg OT120 from zZounds.com!

Korg OT120 from zZounds.com!

Korg OT120 from zZounds.com!

This is a center-right nation - WSJ.com

Declarations - WSJ.com: "this is a center-right nation, and many of them have been pushing hard against the age for 40 years now, and more. For some time they have sensed that something large and stable is being swept away, maybe has been swept away, and yet you still have to fight for it."

TripAdvisor Causes - Great Idea!

TripAdvisor Causes - Results Doctors without Borders is way ahead--and they were my pick before I checked the voting--does that mean I'm predictable?

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Greenspan shocked at credit system breakdown

Greenspan shocked at credit system breakdown | Reuters: "The former Fed chair said that a securitization system that stimulated appetite for loans made to borrowers with spotty credit histories, was at the heart of the breakdown of credit markets.

'Without the excess demand from securitizers, subprime mortgage originations -- undeniably the original source of crisis -- would have been far smaller and defaults, accordingly, far fewer,' he said.

A surge in demand for U.S. subprime securities, supported by unrealistically positive ratings by credit agencies, was the core of the problem, he added.

Greenspan proposed that that securitizers be required to retain 'a meaningful part' of securities they issued. He said that regulatory reform will be necessary in the areas of fraud, settlement, and securitization to re-establish financial stability."

Proposition 5: The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act

Proposition 5: The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

GOP spent $150,000 in donations on Palin's look

The Associated Press: GOP spent $150,000 in donations on Palin's look

"'The use of campaign funds for items which most Americans would consider to be strictly personal reasons, in my view, erodes public confidence and erodes it significantly,' said McCain on the Senate floor in May 1993."

Sperm Shopping? Try Fairfax Cryobank

Fairfax Cryobank

Monday, October 20, 2008

Note to Next President: Modern-Day WPA Will Save the Economy

Note to Next President: Modern-Day WPA Will Save the Economy | Autopia from Wired.com: "Highway congestion costs us $78 billion annually through the 4.2 billion hours and 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline we waste each year, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. The list goes on."

Friday, October 17, 2008

Palin's Staffers Keep Her Away From The News To Avoid Being "Depressed"

Palin's Staffers Keep Her Away From The News To Avoid Being "Depressed": "But it's at events like these and our rallies that we are so energized and inspired and we know that we are not alone. We feel your strength and we feel the power of prayer, so many of you tell us that you are praying for us and praying for our country and that's why we so appreciate you being here."

How to manage multiple Google accounts?

How to manage multiple Google accounts?

Stifled by Copyright, McCain Asks YouTube to Consider Fair Use

Stifled by Copyright, McCain Asks YouTube to Consider Fair Use | Threat Level from Wired.com: "The McCain campaign's web video ads have been repeatedly either knocked off YouTube or have had to be revamped for using excerpts of television debate footage, and pop songs as soundtracks, without negotiating for the rights first."

Pain Ray Test Subjects Exposed to 'Unconscionable Risks'

Pain Ray Test Subjects Exposed to 'Unconscionable Risks' | Danger Room from Wired.com: "a newly-obtained accident report shows that just six months prior to our test, the weapon's operators were dangerously undertrained -- exposing test subjects, as one official puts it, 'to unconscionable risks.'"

Companies That Sell for Less Than Their Cash - BusinessWeek

Companies That Sell for Less Than Their Cash - BusinessWeek: "Some stocks, such as GM, UAL, and Bank of America, are so beaten down that they're priced lower than the cash on their company's books"

Commentary: Food banks instead of campaign ads - CNN.com

Commentary: Food banks instead of campaign ads - CNN.com: "So, Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain, how about instead of spending that $30 million a week kicking the 'you know what' out of each other between now and Election Day, you pool your money and you give it to that food bank in Provo, Utah, so Joalaina Redbird's kids can get three square meals a day until her husband finds another job?

Give the money to that homeless shelter in Grand Forks or any of the hundreds of charities around this country that are trying to help desperate people get through these difficult times."

Candidates off on oil by $350 billion ... or so - Oil & energy- msnbc.com

Candidates off on oil by $350 billion ... or so - Oil & energy- msnbc.com: "...the $700 billion overstates total spending by nearly one-third — and possibly as much as one-half. And only about a fourth of the imports come from countries that might be considered unfriendly, such as Venezuela and Iran, and from the politically volatile Persian Gulf."

Palin's Own Terrorist Palling Around

Frank Naif: Todd Palin's Past Political Associations A Likely Security Clearance Disqualifier: "Palin's husband Todd was once a paid up member of the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party (AIP)...the AIP has long been aligned closely with paramilitary militia groups -- the kind that fear black helicopters and a United Nations takeover of the US. Indeed, under the leadership of AIP's tough-talking founder, Joe Vogler, AIP allied itself with the Islamic dictatorship in Iran in 1993 so that Vogler could appear at the United Nations to appeal for Alaska's freedom from US 'tyranny.'"

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Authorities Shut Down Major Spam Ring - NYTimes.com

Authorities Shut Down Major Spam Ring - NYTimes.com: "“This is pretty major. At one point these guys delivered up to one-third of all spam,” said Richard Cox, chief information officer at SpamHaus, a nonprofit antispam research group.

The investigation provides a clear window into the business of modern spam, which by some estimates accounts for 90 percent of all e-mail sent over the Internet.

To pepper Internet users with its solicitations, the HerbalKing group used a botnet, a global network of computers infected with malicious software, often without the knowledge of their owners.

The security firm Marshal Software, which assisted the F.T.C. with the investigation, estimated in court documents that the group’s Mega-D botnet — named after one of its pill products — was made up of 35,000 computers and could send 10 billion e-mail messages a day. In January, the botnet was the leading source of spam on the Internet, the firm estimated."

QuickStart Guides for Blogger, WordPress, TypePad, MySpace, Podcasting - FeedBurner Help Center

QuickStart Guides for Blogger, WordPress, TypePad, MySpace, Podcasting - FeedBurner Help Center

How do I redirect traffic from my site's original feed to my FeedBurner feed? - FeedBurner Help Center

How do I redirect traffic from my site's original feed to my FeedBurner feed? - FeedBurner Help Center

NativeTech: An introduction to Tamarack Trees & Traditions

NativeTech: An introduction to Tamarack Trees & Traditions

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort

McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort:

"Later, when Timmons [recently appointed by John McCain to head his presidential transition team] pressed the case even more aggressively that sanctions against Saddam's regime be eased, he, Vincent and Park hoped to profit as well, according to the Volcker report. 'Continuing through 1994 and 1995, Mr. Vincent and Mr. Park, along with Mr. Timmons and others, persisted in their efforts to establish a foothold in the Iraqi oil business,' the report stated.

At one point, Timmons even boasted to investigators that it was his ideas that later became the basis for the United Nations' oil-for-food program. However, a major flaw in the program was that Saddam Hussein's regime was allowed to play a role in the selection of oil companies awarded contracts. Because of lax oversight of the program, Saddam's government was able to demand that foreign oil companies -- including American ones -- provide more than $1.7 billion in kickbacks to his regime. One of the most outspoken critics in the U.S. Senate of the oil-for-food program was John McCain:

'We need to have a full and complete cooperation on the part of the U.N. about this whole oil-for-food progra, which stinks to high heaven," McCain told Fox News in Dec. 2004. "We're talking about billions and billions of dollars here that were diverted for many wrong purposes. And this is an example of corruption.

"And by the way, it's an argument, maybe a small one, but maybe an argument that justifies our action in Iraq. Because clearly the sanctions and the framework of those sanctions was completely eroded."

Stifled By Copyright, McCain Asks YouTube to Consider Fair Use | Threat Level from Wired.com

Stifled By Copyright, McCain Asks YouTube to Consider Fair Use | Threat Level from Wired.com: "one of the rare instances when a member of Congress is speaking out in favor of fair-use rights, after experiencing for themselves the onerous burden put on citizens using media to express ideas."

14 Tools to Legally Spy On Your Competition

14 Tools to Legally Spy On Your Competition

Michelle Goldberg: Troopergate report reveals how Sarah Palin abuses power to settle grudges | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Michelle Goldberg: Troopergate report reveals how Sarah Palin abuses power to settle grudges | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "When I was in Alaska last month, several people told me they were afraid to speak about Sarah Palin on the record, lest they invite retaliation from the governor's office or, God forbid, from the next vice-president. At the time, I didn't take such worries too seriously. As abominable a candidate as Palin is, it was hard for me to imagine vice-presidential staffers trying ruin the lives of private Wasilla citizens just because they had displeased her. But reading the official report of the investigation into the Palin abuse-of-power scandal known as Troopergate, it seems that perhaps her critics were being more prudent than paranoid."

Anchorage Paper Calls Palin Response to Troopergate 'An Embarrassment'

Anchorage Paper Calls Palin Response to Troopergate 'An Embarrassment': "Palin asserted that the report found 'there was no abuse of authority at all in trying to get Officer Wooten fired.'

In fact, the report concluded that 'impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, to wit: to get Trooper Michael Wooten fired.'

Palin's response is the kind of political 'big lie' that George Orwell warned against. War is peace. Black is white. Up is dow"

Democracy Now! | James Bamford: "The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America."

Democracy Now! | James Bamford: "The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America."

Friday, October 10, 2008

Bush: U.S. Will Continue to Act to Resolve Crisis

Bush: U.S. Will Continue to Act to Resolve Crisis - WSJ.com:

'Over the past few days, we have witnessed a startling drop in the stock market, much of it driven by uncertainty and fear,' Mr. Bush said.

No kidding! Really? Gee, I think we might have missed that if you hadn't pointed it out. Or am I the only one who gets a severe headache whenever our leader speaks these days?

I think I get these headaches because what he says when he does speak is merely telling us what we already know. What happened to explaining things to the American people, putting things in context, showing some leadership?

In Dozens of Calls, Palins Pressed for Trooper’s Removal

In Dozens of Calls, Palins Pressed for Trooper’s Removal - NYTimes.com: "examination of the case, based on interviews with Mr. Monegan and several top aides, indicates that, to a far greater degree than was previously known, the governor, her husband and her administration pressed the commissioner and his staff to get Trooper Wooten off the force, though without directly ordering it. In all, the commissioner and his aides were contacted about Trooper Wooten three dozen times over 19 months by the governor, her husband and seven administration officials, interviews and documents show."

Her husband?

Press It « WordPress Codex

Press It « WordPress Codex

Friday, October 3, 2008

Daily Kos: WV Miners Support Obama, Spurn NRA

Daily Kos: WV Miners Support Obama, Spurn NRA: "If you've been wondering where you can find people who are willing to protest as they did in the past, people willing to put their jobs on the line even in tough economic times, take a look in a union mine."

The Reckoning - More About the Mess

The Reckoning - Agency’s ’04 Rule Let Banks Pile Up New Debt

"With that, the five big independent investment firms were unleashed...In loosening the capital rules, which are supposed to provide a buffer in turbulent times, the agency also decided to rely on the firms’ own computer models for determining the riskiness of investments, essentially outsourcing the job of monitoring risk to the banks themselves."

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

25 Highest-paid women - Barbara Desoer (21) - FORTUNE

25 Highest-paid women - Barbara Desoer (21) - FORTUNE

Florida Absentee Voter Guide | Long Distance Voter

Florida Absentee Voter Guide | Long Distance Voter

25 Highest-paid women - Sallie Krawcheck (16) - FORTUNE

25 Highest-paid women - Sallie Krawcheck (16) - FORTUNE: "Chairman and CEO, Global Wealth Management
Citigroup (C)

2007 Total compensation: $11.0 million"

25 Highest-paid men - David Viniar (24) - FORTUNE

25 Highest-paid men - David Viniar (24) - FORTUNE: "EVP and CFO
Goldman Sachs Group (GS)

2007 Total compensation: $42.6 million"

25 Highest-paid men - Jon Winkelried (19) - FORTUNE

25 Highest-paid men - Jon Winkelried (19) - FORTUNE: "President and Co-COO
Goldman Sachs Group (GS)

2007 Total compensation: $52.9 million"

25 Highest-paid men - Gary Cohn (18) - FORTUNE

25 Highest-paid men - Gary Cohn (18) - FORTUNE: "President and Co-COO
Goldman Sachs Group (GS)

2007 Total compensation: $53 million"

25 Highest-paid men - Lloyd Blankfein (17) - FORTUNE

25 Highest-paid men - Lloyd Blankfein (17) - FORTUNE: "Chairman and CEO
Goldman Sachs Group (GS)

2007 Total compensation: $54 million"

25 Highest-paid men - John Thain (8) - FORTUNE

25 Highest-paid men - John Thain (8) - FORTUNE: "Chairman and CEO
Merrill Lynch & Co. (MER)

2007 Total compensation: $83.8 million*"

5 spots for fall foliage - Cooperstown, N.Y. (1) - Money Magazine

5 spots for fall foliage - Cooperstown, N.Y. (1) - Money Magazine

Richard Rainwater on why oil prices will keep rising - Oct. 1, 2008

Richard Rainwater on why oil prices will keep rising - Oct. 1, 2008

Palin and Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare

"...The use of Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare to expel territorial demons is facilitated by Spiritual Mapping and then intercessory prayer and fasting. The World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs developed by Wagner and Ted Haggard houses the computer systems for organizing the prayer intercessors as well as the Spiritual Mapping media. The video was based on the book Breaking the Strongholds in Your City: How to Use Spiritual Mapping to Make Your Prayers More Strategic, Effective and Targeted...Wasilla Assembly of God, where Sarah Palin attended until 2002 and continues to visit, and Juneau Christian Church, where Palin attends when in residence at the capital, have close links to major leadership and organizations in this movement."

Citizenship, History, Faith, and Witches

Talk To Action Reclaiming Citizenship, History, and Faith

Awesome Eclectic-ness in World Music

Link TV | World Music
A treat for eyes and ears.

Governor Palin and the Recent Burning of Witches

BBC: Witches Burned to Death in Kenyan

Kenyan Preacher and Christian Supporters Boast of Anti-Witchcraft Warfare

The Same Preacher Prays for Palin and Her Advancement of Spiritual Warfare from Within the Government of the United States:


This is not "gotcha journalism." This is reality.

Software Lets Users Manipulate Passport Data - Security Fix

Software Lets Users Manipulate Passport Data - Security Fix