Snap

Republicans Revolt Over Bush’s Iraq Plan

Last Tuesday afternoon, a day before President George W. Bush went on TV to explain his decision to send more troops to Iraq, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called his Republican colleagues together for a private talk. Several GOP senators had already come out against the plan. McConnell, Bush's closest Senate supporter on Iraq, hoped to keep others from defecting. He urged his colleagues to stand together at least until Bush had the chance to speak to the country. After the meeting, the senators went outside the room to display their unity to waiting reporters. McConnell said he thought more troops were just the thing to "give us a chance to succeed." He then stepped aside so the other senators could second his sentiments. No one came forward. McConnell's eye fell on Trent Lott. "Trent?" McConnell said, motioning him toward the microphone. "I don't think I have anything to add," said Lott.

More environmental news

Only Environmental Bill in First 100 Hours Up for Vote

The last of the six designated bills up for consideration during the House Democrats' first 100 legislative hours is the legislative program's only environmental measure.

Introduced today with 199 cosponsors, H.R.6 will shift roughly $13 billion in oil industry subsidies toward renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Don't let faux-Klingons send real Americans to war

One part funny, two parts lame.

Gulf Stream under threat

From the Guardian - an interactive look at the Gulf Stream and how its changing.

Dare to dream, environmental version

Bush set for climate change U-turn

Bush and Blair held private talks on climate change before Christmas, and there is a feeling that the US President will now agree a cap on emissions in the US, meaning that, for the first time, American industry and consumers would be expected to start conserving energy and curbing pollution.

'We could now be seeing the beginning of a consensus on a post-Kyoto framework,' said a source close to the prime minister. 'President Bush is beginning to talk about more radical measures.'

The move will be seen as part of a wider repositioning of the Bush government after its comprehensive defeat in last autumn's mid-term elections.

Maybe they are realizing that people seem to like you better when you try to save the world rather than bomb it. I won't believe it until I see it, however.

Flamey McGassy

Warming of Mass Destruction!

discredited in the region as a player

U.S. policies have made Israel less safe, experts say

After years of supporting the Bush administration's policy in the Middle East, a growing number of Israelis are openly criticizing the United States for creating more, not less, danger for Israel.

Israeli experts contend that American policies have destabilized Iraq, emboldened anti-Western forces from Iran to Lebanon and paved the way for militant Islamists to gain control of the Palestinian Authority.

"The threats to Middle East security and stability worsened in 2006," experts at Tel Aviv University's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies recently warned. "The American failure in Iraq has hurt the standing of the U.S. in the Middle East."

...

The conclusion that the United States has made Israel less safe and the growing criticism of Bush administration policy are ironic, to put it mildly.

Securing Israel, America's closest ally in the region, was one of the Bush administration's justifications for toppling Saddam and for promoting democracy throughout the region. Israel has been unwavering in its support of U.S. initiatives since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, from ousting the Taliban in Afghanistan to toppling Saddam and threatening Iran and Syria. The former Bush administration officials and advisers who pushed those initiatives are among Israel's staunchest American supporters.

But a growing number of Israeli experts now believe that U.S. policy has backfired. The threat from Saddam's army has been replaced by the dangers of a volatile civil war that threatens to spill over Iraq's borders. By ousting both Saddam and the Taliban, the United States eliminated two major counterbalances to Iran, which now enjoys growing power and influence.

"When the United States removed Saddam Hussein from power, people were happy here because he represented a major threat," said Eytan Gilboa, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University. "But that elevated the Iranian threat, and Iran is the most dangerous country in the world."

...

Some argue that without the threat from Saddam, the international community is better positioned to deal with Iran.

"In the long run I think this will help peace and security in the Middle East," said Danny Ayalon, who served as Israel's ambassador to the United States during the invasion of Iraq. "The fact that we do not have Saddam Hussein there allows the world to focus on the ayatollahs and Ahmadinejad."

EduVision

something i saw on cable "EduVision, a project funded by the BioVision Foundation, seeks to assist countries in improving their education systems by providing appropriate information technology tools for the classroom."

Human Rights Watch launches World Report 2007

EU needs to pick up slack left by US lack of credibility.

Today marks five years since the United States first sent detainees toGuantanamo. The Bush administration has proven largely incapable of providing leadership on human rights, while China and Russia are embracing tyrants in their quest for resources and influence. But rather than assuming the leadership mantle, the European Union's approach is mired in procedures that emphasize internal unanimity and rotation over the effective projection of EU influence to protect human rights, said the 556-page volume's introductory essay.

"Since the US can't provide credible leadership on human rights, European countries must pick up the slack," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "Instead, the European Union is punching well below its weight."

Agency Affirms Human Influence on Climate

President Bush has said it.

A lot of government scientists have said it.

But until yesterday, it appeared that no news release on annual climate trends out of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Bush White House had said unequivocally that a buildup of greenhouse gases was helping warm the climate.

The statement came in a release that said 2006 was the warmest year for the 48 contiguous states since regular temperature records began in 1895. It surpassed the previous champion, 1998, a year heated up by a powerful episode of the periodic warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean by El Niño. Last year, another El Niño developed, but this time a long-term warming trend from human activities was said to be involved as well.

“A contributing factor to the unusually warm temperatures throughout 2006 also is the long-term warming trend, which has been linked to increases in greenhouse gases,” the release said, emphasizing that the relative contributions of El Niño and the human influence were not known.

The History of the Vibrator

Learn about it here.

GM bringing back the electric car?

Apparently Detroit is going more green.

For years the world famous trade show has been the place for manufacturers to debut the ever larger and more powerful cars beloved of the American consumer. But with fuel prices continuing to climb a sea change is underway in consumer habits and judging by this year's show car firms are poised to address their changing needs with a raft of cleaner engines and more fuel efficient vehicles.

Spurred into action by the runaway success of the hybrid gas-electric powered Toyota Prius, General Motors (GM) this week unveiled its own hybrid concept car, the Chevrolet Volt.

GM vice chairman Robert Lutz said that the Volt would overcome the range and power limitations that have dogged the EV1 - the company's previous attempt at developing an electric car and the subject of the highly critical documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? - by using a new E-flex system that will combine a battery and fuel powered engine in a regular chassis.

VoltThe battery, which can be charged over six hours using a 110 volt outlet, will provide a range of 40 city miles, according to GM. When the battery runs down, a one litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine kicks in to create electricity and replenish the battery. "If you lived within 30 miles from work (60 miles round trip) and charged your vehicle every night when you came home or during the day at work, you would get 150 miles per gallon," said Lutz. "More than half of all Americans live within 20 miles of where they work (40 miles round trip). In that case, you might never burn a drop of gas during the life of the car."

The hybrid engine can also be adapted so that it runs using bio-fuel, diesel or even a Hydrogen-based fuel cell, instead of petrol, GM said.

The adaptability of the engine is good because then they could sell it anywhere in the world. Is it too late for them?

BMW has a new car:

Closer to production though is BMW's fuel cell-powered Hydrogen 7, which is also on show in Detroit and is expected to be made available through a few select dealerships this April.

The new flex-fuel powered Seven Series features both a fuel cell, which will only emit water vapour and enable a driving range of 300 miles, and a petrol tank that can be used when the hydrogen fuel cell runs out. According to BMW it will also boast a 260 horsepower, 12 cylinder engine capable of doing 0-60 in 9.5 seconds - ensuring it compares favourably with other executive cars on the market.

and Toyota is trying to maintain the lead:

Meanwhile, Toyota committed to extending its leadership position in the burgeoning hybrid market, announcing plans for a hybrid powered pickup truck and debuting the new FT-HS concept car - a gasoline-electric hybrid powered sports car featuring a V6, 3.5 litre engine and lightweight chassis.

The raft of green announcements came as Toyota underlined the scale of the market for green vehicles, predicting sales of its hybrid vehicles will increase by 50 percent in the US this year to around 300,000 units.

More nature fun

Olbermann

Not so happy

Did the President Declare "Secret War" Against Syria and Iran?

Washington intelligence, military and foreign policy circles are abuzz today with speculation that the President, yesterday or in recent days, sent a secret Executive Order to the Secretary of Defense and to the Director of the CIA to launch military operations against Syria and Iran.

The President may have started a new secret, informal war against Syria and Iran without the consent of Congress or any broad discussion with the country.

I agree that this is a very Bad Thing. I can easily see how Bush would do this, though. Desperate to change the dynamic - and I could see him be convinced that that means covert operations to disrupt supply activities from Iran and Syria. He threatened Iran and Syria in the speech and talked about new rules of engagement. He is a desperate man, whose very large ego is on the line.

more on plans for operations Iran.

and Tom isn't helping.

happy stuff

Eh?

Canadian coins bugged, U.S. security agency says

That sure is a loony thing to do.

Snap

Tell us how you really feel Keith.

Something to keep in mind

when Bush is talking tonight:

Although the president was publicly polite, few of the key Baker-Hamilton recommendations appealed to the administration, which intensified its own deliberations over a new “way forward” in Iraq. How to look distinctive from the study group became a recurring theme.

As described by participants in the administration review, some staff members on the National Security Council became enamored of the idea of sending more troops to Iraq in part because it was not a key feature of Baker-Hamilton.

So, it looks like it is more of the anti-Bush41 policy.

Two things. First, Bush is choosing an option that has zero support from anyone except those who have consistently been wrong about pretty much everything relating to Iraq. Military officials, Middle East experts, and foreign officials are all opposed because they don't think it will work. And that makes sense given that the underlying problem today in 2007 is not so much a lack of security, but a sectarian civil war that is ultimately a political problem.

Second, and more inexcusably, if the NSC official is correct, Bush is picking this option out of vanity and spite simply because the Baker Group didn't offer it.

Good news is that at Least 10 GOP Senators Will Oppose Escalation and the Kennedy resolution is just the beginning apparently.

Its a start

UK backs new EU climate strategy

For the EU itself, the Commission wants member states to commit themselves to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 compared with 1990 levels; meet 20% of all energy demands from renewable sources (such as nuclear power, wind and wave farms), and 10% of vehicle fuel from biofuels, by 2020; and hold rising temperatures to no more than two 2 degrees centigrade above the 1990 level.

Environmentalist campaigners said the strategy was not ambitious enough to counter climate change or improve long-term energy supply security.

If the US pulls a GM and doesn't get on board with the new innovations they will miss out on the next big market.

Old habits

Hostile enemies of the state.

And he is a bad actor too, so there! HA!

Sad really. Somehow I just thing that all this doesn't quite play as well as it used to.

Now here is a real enemy of the state:

Rational actors

China and India facing up to the economic chill of global warming

House easily passes anti-terror bill

(AP) — Anti-terror legislation sailed through the House on Tuesday, the first in a string of measures designed to fulfill campaign promises made by Democrats last fall."

It passed the house 299-128. Funny to hear a republican complain about costs on for a homeland security bill, and the administration has already said that it does not support the measure as drafted. Can someone accuse him of hating America now? Oh sorry, we are supposed to be nice now. I forgot.

Next up this week are bills on the minimum wage, stem cell research, and negotiating with drug companies to lower prices.

And in the senate, Kennedy speaks his mind...

Why God leaves us alone

And why, according to Deepak Chopra, that’s a very good thing

I’m sure that in their heart of hearts, most people wish God would stop interfering in everyday life. This is a concern that reaches far beyond religion. The U.S. president and other born-again Christians refer to God’s helping hand in making war in the Middle East. Our Western society couldn’t be more different from traditional Muslim society, but we have one thing in common: People in both places believe God is on their side. This means they know what God thinks—a remarkable assumption given that God is infinitely present and infinitely transcendent; cosmic and personal at the same time; invisible and unable to be located in time and space.

People continue to be nagged by ancient documents called scriptures that claim to transmit what it is that God exactly wants. The great Indian poet Kabir wrote that he had read all the scriptures, bathed in all the sacred pools, visited all the holy shrines, and found God in none of them. Most people would consider that a sign of despair when in fact it’s the key to freedom. In Vedanta, the purest spiritual doctrine of Hindu India, God doesn’t want anything of us. He doesn’t want to be found; he has no laws that we should obey; he never judges, punishes or puts forth expectations.

The truth is that God left us alone a long time ago. This wasn’t an act of abuse or abandonment. It was an opportunity for us to find our own freedom, and in that freedom to realize something simple yet profound: God is existence itself.

...

It’s true that evangelical Christians are making gains, even in the most traditional places. (A country like Ecuador, once a bastion of orthodox Catholicism, is estimated to be up to 25 percent Protestant, due to inroads made by missionaries from the U.S.) The future of God, however, lies in spiritual evolution. The next step of growth is for people to start to awaken one by one, just as Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad did.
Judging by grassroots activity, the following trends will continue to shape spiritual life:

• Meditation will become mainstream.
• Elements of the miraculous and paranormal will be widely acknowledged.
• Alternative forms of healing, both physical and psychological, will become commonplace.
• Prayer will be seen as real and efficacious.
• Manifestation of desires will be talked about as a real phenomenon.
• People will regain a connection to their souls.
• Individuals will find answers inwardly to their deepest spiritual questions. They will believe in their private answers and live accordingly.
• New communities of belief will arise.
• Gurus and other spiritual authorities will wane in influence.
• Wisdom traditions will grow to embrace the great spiritual teachings at the heart of organized religion.
• Faith will no longer be seen as an irrational departure from reason and science.
• Wars will decline as peace becomes a social reality.
• Nature will regain its sacred value.

Millions of people already embody these trends in their own lives. They abide by the values of the new spirituality. Events may mask this widespread revolution in spiritual values, but outward events have always been a poor guide to what is happening at the soul level.

The last bastion no more

Utahns break from Bush on Iraq

The Tribune survey results are similar to findings of pollster SurveyUSA, which in a poll sponsored by KSL-TV last month, found 42 percent of Utahns supportive of the president's handling of the war.
But with national support for Bush at war also having plummeted in recent months, support in Utah remains about 20 points higher than the nation at large.

I'll give Bush credit for one thing, when he says he doesn't govern by polls anymore, he means it.

Quack

Perhaps he should start his own blog

There was something almost sad about Bush putting his own name on an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal that laid out his legislative agenda on the eve of the formal Democratic takeover of Capitol Hill. Clearly gone are the days when Vice President Dick Cheney could use a private meeting with Republican lawmakers to set the congressional priorities list. Now, it seems, the president is positioning himself as just another spectator on the outskirts of power — firing off letters to the editor. Perhaps he should start his own blog.
...
In response to the political test posed by that dynamic, Bush is calling for bipartisanship. Funny how the losing side in an election almost always ends up being the one to call for magnanimity. After 12 years of being made almost invisible, especially in the House, Democrats appear in no mood to do anything but pay lip service to the current calls for collaboration. Although careful not to say so publicly, congressional Democrats are champing at the bit for payback. Evicting Cheney from his office was just the beginning.

Carbon rationing

Mark Lynas of the New Statesman writes:

"You can't bargain with the planet because it doesn't care whether or not targets are "politically acceptable". So unless we secure a deal determining how much carbon each nation and each person can emit, we simply will not survive"

...

Nevertheless, imposing such a scheme - and imposed it must be, as participation could not be voluntary - would require political leadership and vision of the sort that seems to be in scarce supply in today's corridors of power. But such leadership need not, in the long term, be unpopular. Nor would it be incompatible with democracy. Who would march in Trafalgar Square against solving climate change? Probably about as many people as marched against rationing in 1940: none.

So how would it actually work?

By Sam Alexandroni

Every adult receives an equal carbon allowance (children get less) based on a yearly budget, which is reduced each year and set by an independent committee.

This allowance is divided into units. These are often referred to as tradeable energy quotas (TEQs). Every time you buy petrol, pay an electricity bill or book a flight, a number of units, equivalent to that amount of energy, is deducted from your TEQ account - in most cases automatically via direct debit. If you do not have enough units in your account, the price goes up to cover the shortfall.

TEQs behave like any commodity, fluctuating in price depending on demand and availability. If too many people use too much carbon, the units become scarce and the price goes up, making it uneconomical to live far beyond your personal allowance. This creates a powerful economic incentive to reduce carbon output, and to profit by selling the excess units.

read more here

Happiness

Some earlier research has argued that income comparison makes you happier (if you have more, that is). This, however, is a result of the focus illusion (pdf), where you think that most important thing in your life is the think you are thinking about at the time. Turns out, it probably isn't money, its how you spend your time. And don't think about money and compare. That makes you miserly and miserable.

When someone reflects on how more income would change subjective well-being, they are probably tempted to think about spending more time in leisurely pursuits such as watching a large-screen plasma TV or playing golf, but in reality they should think of spending a lot more time working and commuting and a lot less time engaged in passive leisure (and perhaps a bit more golf). By itself, this shift in time use is unlikely to lead to much increase in experienced happiness, although it could increase tension and one’s sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Despite the weak relationship between income and global life satisfaction or experienced happiness, many people are highly motivated to increase their income. In some cases, this focusing illusion may lead to a misallocation of time, from accepting lengthy commutes (which
are among the worst moments of the day) to sacrificing time spent socializing (which are among the best moments of the day). An emphasis on the role of attention helps to explain both why many people seek high income – because they over predict the increase in happiness due to the focusing illusion and because changes in relative income are associated with strong emotional responses – and why the long-term effects of these changes are relatively small -- because attention eventually shifts to less novel aspects of daily life.

So, spend less time in commute, more time in active leisure, and meditate for 30 minutes a day. This way you train your attention to only focus on things that make you happy :)

There is always a pushback

At either extreme: Fat CEO pay seen a wider society concern

The other day the ex CEO of GM (I think), Jack Walsh, when asked by Colbert why do CEOs deserve so much, his answer was (paraphrasing), "because they make that much." Colbert's reply was, "just like black lung. All those coal miners deserved it because they got it." Jack had no response, other than to say, "I hadn't thought about that." What a tremendous feeling of entitlement.

Standing up to standing up

Pelosi: Congress Will Not Fund Escalation If Bush Does Not Justify It

Good. I like the bit about how justification is new for Bush.

and in a related event, John McCain surprised by opposition Senator who makes logically consistent statements.

and, just for the heck of it, if you have the stomach for it, check out this video of a person who gets millions of hits. wow.

Operation pass the buck

30,000 more US troops for Iraq

Looks like this will be the plan. 30k more troops and a $1b jobs plan. I like the jobs plan idea, although why such an idea took four years, is beyond me. This basically guarantees that McCain will come out of this looking bad, as far as I can tell. I just don't think cracking down harder will make a difference, and will negate any potential good will that may possibly come about through a jobs plan. When the people don't want you there, then increasing your visibility and force does not seem prudent.

Of course, this is an escalation of at least 18 months, rather than a "surge", which has always seemed a silly word to me.

One of the neoconservative thinkers, whose views are believed to have influenced Bush, suggested the military action might last longer than expected. 'We need a long-lasting surge because we have to keep in mind that we face an enemy here that adapts to our strategy,' said Frederick Kagan, a military historian and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. 'If we do a short surge they will just wait us out. We need to surge for at least 18 months.'

As much as he is right, I still think he is wrong about the main fundamental premises, namely that our presence doesn't make things worse. But then again, what the heck do I know? And Juan Cole, an oft critique of US policy, thinks that Bush has started to bring in some good guys.

I wish these seasoned professionals well. They know what they are getting into, and it is an index of their courage and dedication that they are willing to risk their lives in an effort that the American public has largely written off as a costly failure. If the US in Iraq can possibly have a soft landing, these are the individuals who can pull it off. It is a big if.

More fuel for the fire.

The spoils of war

Iraq's massive oil reserves, the third-largest in the world, are about to be thrown open for large-scale exploitation by Western oil companies under a controversial law which is expected to come before the Iraqi parliament within days.

The US government has been involved in drawing up the law, a draft of which has been seen by The Independent on Sunday. It would give big oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon 30-year contracts to extract Iraqi crude and allow the first large-scale operation of foreign oil interests in the country since the industry was nationalised in 1972.

If they even cared, even 1 iota about public perception... oh well, as long as a select few get really rich! Wahee!

Oil industry executives and analysts say the law, which would permit Western companies to pocket up to three-quarters of profits in the early years, is the only way to get Iraq's oil industry back on its feet after years of sanctions, war and loss of expertise. But it will operate through "production-sharing agreements" (or PSAs) which are highly unusual in the Middle East, where the oil industry in Saudi Arabia and Iran, the world's two largest producers, is state controlled.

Opponents say Iraq, where oil accounts for 95 per cent of the economy, is being forced to surrender an unacceptable degree of sovereignty.

More here.

I blame it on Clinton and Gore

Its 10 C high (in Ottawa) has people acting like it's spring where the "average maximum temperature for Jan. 5 is -5.9, or almost 16 degrees colder than it was yesterday. The average minimum is -14.9."

For those used to Fahrenheit, 10C = 50F, which really is like Spring, and -5 = 23F.

Blame Bill!

[update] (hat tip to Rolf for the article): "The Coney Island Polar Bear Club, a winter swimming club, staged a silent protest on the beach in Brooklyn" as the temperatures hit a record breaking 72 degress. 72!

The only thing that ruined this winter imagery was the temperature, which in the middle of the afternoon in Central Park on Saturday reached a record-breaking 72 degrees. And so the make-believe winter collided with reality: People wore T-shirts as they ice-skated on the wet and sloshy rink at Rockefeller Center, and the Polar Bears turned their back on the Atlantic and headed toward the boardwalk, a protest, albeit an underdressed one, against global warming.

Louis Scarcella, 55, a former homicide detective and president of the Coney Island club, said the weather has been so mild lately that he is considering cancelling the group’s winter swimming season, which usually runs from November to April, for lack of any weather resembling winter. A club season has not been cancelled since the group was founded 104 years ago.

This is reinforcing my belief that this will be the year of the environment. In Canada, the conservative Prime Minster reshuffled his cabinet to (at least) appear as if he takes the environment more seriously. I personally don't trust a politician from Alberta on the environment (kinda like trusting someone from Texas not to side with big oil), but it underscores the change in public perception of the issue. The press is still not convinced that the environment will still be a make-or-break political issue, but the Liberals here in Canada have staked their short term future on it, more or less, when they elected Dion an ex-minister of the environment to be their leader.

More bills long past due

Leahy Introduces Bills To Combat War Profiteering, Public Corruption

WASHINGTON (Thursday, January 4) – Signaling a renewed emphasis on combating corruption at home and abroad, incoming Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), introduced a package of bills Thursday targeting corrupt officials and private companies seeking to defraud American taxpayers and troops.
...
Also on Thursday, Leahy joined with Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), on another anti-corruption measure aimed at strengthening the tools available to federal prosecutors in combating public corruption. This bill gives investigators and prosecutors the statutory tools and the resources that they need to ensure that serious and insidious public corruption is detected and punished, including extending the statute of limitations on some of the worst crimes.

Follow the first 100 hours agenda

At Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo's place

The big ones they don't have yet are:
- raise minimum wage to $7.25 (still not enough)
- Allow stem cell research
- Implement the 9/11 commission's recommendations
- Provide prescription drug negotiating authority
- Cut interest rates on student loans in half
- Invest in new sources of energy

If you are interested

Basic Questions and Answers about the Deficit, 10/30/06

In 2006, the federal government spent $1 out of every $12 on interest payments, or $227 billion. That’s more than we spend on education, housing, veterans’ care, and environmental protection, combined.

Dems to GOP

I feel your pain

Frankly they deserve it for a while. Let the Republicans whine for a while. Partnership can only come with trust and there is no trust between Dems and Republicans now... Question is, how to build that trust back?

They did get some lobbying reforms passed, however, 430-1.

The House passed the first portion of that package overwhelmingly Thursday night, 430-1, with Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., the only opponent. It largely would ban meals, gifts and travel from lobbyists. It also would ban members from taking free rides on corporate jets. A second portion of the package, which would require lawmakers to identify which "earmark" spending projects they request and to curb deficit spending, is to be voted on Friday.

I'm curious to see how the earmarking thing passes. My guess is that not many republicans will want to go on record against transparency right now... Here's hoping.

They also introduced some more stuff on that first day...

After the swearing-in ceremonies, Reid introduced the Democrats' first 10 bills for the 110th Congress. Overhauling Congress' ethics system topped the agenda, followed by raising the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour.

Democrats also plan to introduce bills to change the Medicare prescription-drug program, act on the 9-11 commission's recommendations, fund stem cell research, repair the nation's immigration system, strengthen the military, address rising college tuition, force Congress to tighten budget rules and develop an energy policy.

Democrat House and Senate

As of just a bit ago, and Nancy Pelosi is officially Madam Speaker.

Bush goes postal

On your mail

WASHINGTON - President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned.

The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions.

That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.

Bush's move came during the winter congressional recess and a year after his secret domestic electronic eavesdropping program was first revealed. It caught Capitol Hill by surprise.
...
Experts said the new powers could be easily abused and used to vacuum up large amounts of mail.

"The [Bush] signing statement claims authority to open domestic mail without a warrant, and that would be new and quite alarming," said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies in Washington.

"The danger is they're reading Americans' mail," she said.

"You have to be concerned," agreed a career senior U.S. official who reviewed the legal underpinnings of Bush's claim. "It takes Executive Branch authority beyond anything we've ever known."

I'm shocked! Shocked, I tells ya!

Big surprise

ExxonMobil paid to mislead public

ExxonMobil Corp. gave $16 million to 43 ideological groups between 1998 and 2005 in a coordinated effort to mislead the public by discrediting the science behind global warming, the Union of Concerned Scientists asserted Wednesday.

What surprises me is that it is only $16 million over 7 years and not much more.

Know more about ExxonMobil

Whale on whale

We are all just animals

It is not what you would expect to see when you take your children on a Sunday outing to the natural history museum: a giant photograph of one male giraffe humping another, or two whales sparring with giant penises. This, however, is Norway, where — for better or worse — the normal rules do not apply. Three years ago the Government told the country’s museums and libraries that they should do more to contribute to social debates and dare to tackle taboo subjects.

...

It is staging a government-financed exhibition in its august halls that shows that homosexuality — far from being unnatural — is actually rampant in the animal world. Against Nature? is the first exhibition in the world dedicated to gay animals, claims Petter Bockman, its bearded and ponytailed scientific adviser, who also happens to be the University of Oslo’s leading — and only — frog expert (there are not many amphibians, gay or straight, this far north).

Sen. Lieberman's Party Taken Over by critic

Hilarious

The Connecticut for Lieberman Party, the minor political party created by Sen. Joe Lieberman for his successful independent bid for re-election, has been taken over by a longtime critic of the senator.

Fairfield University political science professor John Orman's takeover has been recognized by Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.

Orman is the sole member of the party and filed paperwork with Bysiewicz's office naming himself chairman. The state officials accepted Orman's takeover and his bylaws which limit membership to critics of the senator and anyone named Lieberman.

The party is automatically on the ballot in 2012 when Lieberman's term ends.

On Iraq

Olbermann on Sacrifice

the faces of sacrifice

To fix the chaos that is, btw, all Gen. Casey's fault, says Bush and co.

Smart move

Call it the "The McCain Doctrine", although, i agree with a commenter that it should be the McCain-Lieberman Doctrine.

Climate change 'an opportunity' for farmers

According to UK Environment Secretary David Miliband

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, Mr Miliband will say: "Global warming creates problems - but it will also create new markets and new opportunities. That doesn't mean it is a good thing; it does mean we need to make the most of it."

In a speech prepared for the event, the Environment Secretary says polluters should have to pay for generating greenhouse gases.

"In food, that means greenhouse gases generated in producing food or in food miles carrying a price," he will say.

"If UK farming prepares now for this new future, it can get ahead. The UK can become leaders in green farming - developing innovations that reduce the use of natural resources and reduce pollution."

This I want to see more of - a race to see who can benefit the most from environmental sustainability. Its the new next big thing.

Things to do in 2007

Ways to change the world

my favorite of the ideas is: True Cost Economics

True cost pricing

Cost of driving
What would it cost to drive if the price tag of gas and cars included air pollution, road construction and maintenance; property taxes lost from land cleared for freeways; free parking paid for by taxes; noise and vibration damage to structures; protection of petroleum supply lines; sprawl and loss of transportation options; auto accidents; and congestion? A number of researchers have tried to answer this question, and John Holtzclaw of the Sierra Club profiled eight studies that, when averaged, estimated the true price of gas at $6.05 a gallon.

Source: John Holtzclaw “America's Autos On Welfare” Sierra Club

As for vehicles, transportation analyst Todd Litman has calculated that the external costs of driving would add $42,363 to the sticker price of a shiny new car, based on a 12.5 year lifespan.

Source: Todd Litman, “Transportation Costs & Benefits,” June 2004

Here's a comprehensive yet highly readable discussion of driving externalities produced by Redefining Progress:

Source: Beyond Gas Taxes: Linking Driving Fees to Externalities by Mark M. Glickman, March 2001

2006 the warmest year on record

In the UK

Prediction #1: 2007 will be the year of the environment. Time magazine's person of the year Time will be: Earth.

Happy new year!

Happy
New
Year!

Interspecies telepathy

The next big thing: interspecies telepathy.

I saw a segment of this on cable (Discovery Health channel). Its too unbelievable to be true, yet the people involved seem credible.

Milestones

Well, Saddam is dead and apparently this is an important milestone, marking the passing to where, exactly? I wonder if we will hear any questions if the Iraqis are better off with Saddam out of the picture. Rather a strange question when thousands of Iraqis are leaving daily, and over a million or so have already left. Apparently though, according to Holy Joe, the war is still winnable, as long as it has a clearly defined mission. I am sympathetic to the argument that we are morally obligated to help, but when you have no moral authority and you aren't trusted, how much can you help in this situation? The only way to stick around is to find a radically different approach, something that involves a lot more engagement than Bush would ever countenance. Anyway, as long as Bush is in charge, and dithers around, any call to sustain the war empowers him to screw the pooch just a wee bit more.

End o year poll

U.S. President Ranks as Top Villain and Top Hero of 2006

a video here

Political Science

A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science

In recent years, scientists who work for and advise the federal government have seen their work manipulated, suppressed, distorted, while agencies have systematically limited public and policy maker access to critical scientific information. To document this abuse, the Union of Concerned Scientists has created the A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science.

Ford on Bush

Former president Gerald R. Ford said in an embargoed interview in July 2004 that the Iraq war was not justified. "I don't think I would have gone to war," he said a little more than a year after President Bush launched the invasion advocated and carried out by prominent veterans of Ford's own administration.

In a four-hour conversation at his house in Beaver Creek, Colo., Ford "very strongly" disagreed with the current president's justifications for invading Iraq and said he would have pushed alternatives, such as sanctions, much more vigorously. In the tape-recorded interview, Ford was critical not only of Bush but also of Vice President Cheney -- Ford's White House chief of staff -- and then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who served as Ford's chief of staff and then his Pentagon chief.

US accepts threat to polar bears

Says its because of global warming, but won't back mandatory controls of CO2. Halfway there. I'm confused though, can someone tell me why this is coming up now?

No Coal in those Stockings

Mileage from Megawatts: Enough Electric Capacity to “Fill Up” Plug-In Vehicles

If all the cars and light trucks in the nation switched from oil to electrons, idle capacity in the existing electric power system could generate most of the electricity consumed by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. A new study for the Department of Energy finds that “off-peak” electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country’s 220 million vehicles if they were plug-in hybrid electrics.

...

“With cars charging overnight, the utilities would get a new market for their product. PHEVs would increase residential consumption of electricity by about 30 - 40 percent. The increased generation could lead to replacing aging coal-fired plants sooner with newer, more environmentally friendly versions,” said Kintner-Meyer.

“The potential for lowering greenhouse gases further is quite substantial because it is far less expensive to capture emissions at the smokestack than the tailpipe. Vehicles are one of the most intractable problems facing policymakers seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Pratt.

Latin America's New Reality

Ecuador's New Government Talks Default on Debt

Before Argentina's default, a powerful creditors' cartel headed by the IMF had a credible threat of punishing a defaulting country by depriving it of credit from most sources, thereby increasing the cost of a default. That is no longer the case. Furthermore, Ecuador can likely borrow whatever it needs from Venezuela, which has $36 billion in reserves, and has lent billions of dollars to Argentina, and also provided loans and aid to Bolivia and other countries.

All this is part of the new reality in Latin America, and means that the left/populist governments throughout the region can, if they are so inclined, pursue a much greater variety of economic and development policy options - and deliver on their promises without much fear of retribution from international financial markets or institutions, including the United States government.

Pretty funny stuff

According to Network World's Paul McNamara, the communications director for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Todd Shriber, hired two 'hackers' to break into the computer of his alma mater, Texas Christian University, and change his college grades.

It gets better... Check out the email correspondence here.

Redacted

Redacted Version of Original Op-Ed on Iran

Complete with black bars.

Things to come

Democrats Hiring Up for Investigations

Evidence continues to mount that the new Democratic majority plans to investigate the war, energy policy, and other Bush policies, as key committees have begun hiring lawyer-investigators whose job will be to probe the administration. In the House, for example, the Appropriations Committee under Rep. John Murtha's direction is hiring investigators who will be charged with looking into the administration's war policies and spending in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, Rep. Henry Waxman, the incoming chairman of the House Government Reform Committee who's been dogging the vice president's energy task force, is also hiring lawyers. A Democratic leadership official said that the planned hearings and investigations into the war and other issues the lawyer-investigators are being hired to look into will be "very focused." In the Senate, officials said similar hirings were underway in a speeded up effort to have people in place for the start of the new Congress, especially the planned early January hearings into the war and military spending that are set to begin January 8.

The political economy of deficit spending

Bringing down the deficit enables big spending republicans.

Now that the Democrats have regained some power, they have to decide what to do. One of the biggest questions is whether the party should return to Rubinomics — the doctrine, associated with former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, that placed a very high priority on reducing the budget deficit.

The answer, I believe, is no. Mr. Rubin was one of the ablest Treasury secretaries in American history. But it’s now clear that while Rubinomics made sense in terms of pure economics, it failed to take account of the ugly realities of contemporary American politics.

And the lesson of the last six years is that the Democrats shouldn’t spend political capital trying to bring the deficit down. They should refrain from actions that make the deficit worse. But given a choice between cutting the deficit and spending more on good things like health care reform, they should choose the spending.

Why is this? Becuase we can't trust our elected officials.

The answer, I now think, is to spend the money — while taking great care to ensure that it is spent well, not squandered — and let the deficit be. By spending money well, Democrats can both improve Americans’ lives and, more broadly, offer a demonstration of the benefits of good government. Deficit reduction, on the other hand, might just end up playing into the hands of the next irresponsible president.

The old conservatives & financial responsibility link is pretty well broken after G.W.

London braces for attack

this holiday season

You gotta be kidding me

Former national security adviser Samuel Berger hid classified papers under trailer

French troops had bin Laden in sights

But US gave no order to kill, says documentary

And this was only 3 years ago.

Probably a bunch a bull. If it is true it is because they didn't want the French to get him.

Mid-term elections returning some balance

Iran edition

The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, of Iran faced electoral embarrassment today after the apparent failure of his supporters to win control of key local councils and block the political comeback of his most powerful opponent.

Early results from last Friday's election suggested that his Sweet Scent of Service coalition had won just three out of 15 seats on the symbolically important Tehran city council, foiling Mr Ahmadinejad's plan to oust the mayor and replace him with an ally.

The outcome appeared to be mirrored elsewhere, with councils throughout Iran returning a majority of reformists and moderate fundamentalists opposed to Mr Ahmadinejad.

"Improving product flow"

New publishing rules restrict scientists

he Bush administration is clamping down on scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, the latest agency subjected to controls on research that might go against official policy.

New rules require screening of all facts and interpretations by agency scientists who study everything from caribou mating to global warming. The rules apply to all scientific papers and other public documents, even minor reports or prepared talks, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Top officials at the Interior Department's scientific arm say the rules only standardize what scientists must do to ensure the quality of their work and give a heads-up to the agency's public relations staff.

"This is not about stifling or suppressing our science, or politicizing our science in any way," Barbara Wainman, the agency's director of communications, said Wednesday. "I don't have approval authority. What it was designed to do is to improve our product flow."
...
The changes amount to an overhaul of commonly accepted procedures for all scientists, not just those in government, based on anonymous peer reviews. In that process, scientists critique each other's findings to determine whether they deserve to be published.

From now on, USGS supervisors will demand to see the comments of outside peer reviewers' as well any exchanges between the scientists who are seeking to publish their findings and the reviewers.

Gunna sue the Don

Former U.S. Detainee in Iraq Recalls Torment

The detainee was Donald Vance, a 29-year-old Navy veteran from Chicago who went to Iraq as a security contractor. He wound up as a whistle-blower, passing information to the F.B.I. about suspicious activities at the Iraqi security firm where he worked, including what he said was possible illegal weapons trading.

Diplomat's suppressed document lays bare the lies behind Iraq war

UK edition

The Government's case for going to war in Iraq has been torn apart by the publication of previously suppressed evidence that Tony Blair lied over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

A devastating attack on Mr Blair's justification for military action by Carne Ross, Britain's key negotiator at the UN, has been kept under wraps until now because he was threatened with being charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act.

In the testimony revealed today Mr Ross, 40, who helped negotiate several UN security resolutions on Iraq, makes it clear that Mr Blair must have known Saddam Hussein possessed no weapons of mass destruction. He said that during his posting to the UN, "at no time did HMG [Her Majesty's Government] assess that Iraq's WMD (or any other capability) posed a threat to the UK or its interests."

Mr Ross revealed it was a commonly held view among British officials dealing with Iraq that any threat by Saddam Hussein had been "effectively contained".

I can't believe those cheeky Birts deceived us! Oh wait!

He also reveals that British officials warned US diplomats that bringing down the Iraqi dictator would lead to the chaos the world has since witnessed. "I remember on several occasions the UK team stating this view in terms during our discussions with the US (who agreed)," he said.

"At the same time, we would frequently argue when the US raised the subject, that 'regime change' was inadvisable, primarily on the grounds that Iraq would collapse into chaos."

All good things

in moderation

Moderate drinking may lengthen your life, while too much may shorten it, researchers from Italy report. Their conclusion is based on pooled data from 34 large studies involving more than 1 million people and 94,000 deaths.

According to the data, drinking a moderate amount of alcohol — up to four drinks per day in men and two drinks per day in women — reduces the risk of death from any cause by roughly 18 percent, the team reports in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Of course, if you feel guilty, then that just reverses all the good effects.

Expect silliness

GOP media lemming alert

What we will hear in the next two years:

• The narratives about progressives tend to be negative -- Al Gore was a liar and a wimp, Howard Dean was crazy, John Kerry was a flip-flopping wimp, etc.).
• The narratives about conservatives tend to be positive (John McCain is a straight-talking maverick, Rudy Giuliani is "America's Mayor," etc.)
• The narratives about progressives (our focus today) are often based in large part on the media's endless repetition of snarky comments, stories, and anecdotes about purported personal qualities.
• Progressives and journalists often blame the victims of these narratives, chalking them up to inept candidates and campaign staff. No matter how many different progressives get unfairly defined by the media as soft and dishonest and ineffectual, too many people refuse to hold journalists accountable.

Good fun!

.002

"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world." - Helen Keller

Worlds most dangerous toys

Fission Buddy is my favorite

Nuckin' Futs

A jibJab year (2006) in review

Why doesn't Bush get credit for the strong economy?

Paul Krugman on the Great Wealth Transfer

Why doesn't Bush get credit for the strong economy?" That question has been asked over and over again in recent months by political pundits. After all, they point out, the gross domestic product is up; unemployment, at least according to official figures, is low by historical standards; and stocks have recovered much of the ground they lost in the early years of the decade, with the Dow surpassing 12,000 for the first time. Yet the public remains deeply unhappy with the state of the economy. In a recent poll, only a minority of Americans rated the economy as "excellent" or "good," while most consider it no better than "fair" or "poor."

Are people just ungrateful? Is the administration failing to get its message out? Are the news media, as conservatives darkly suggest, deliberately failing to report the good news?

None of the above. The reason most Americans think the economy is fair to poor is simple: For most Americans, it really is fair to poor. Wages have failed to keep up with rising prices. Even in 2005, a year in which the economy grew quite fast, the income of most non-elderly families lagged behind inflation. The number of Americans in poverty has risen even in the face of an official economic recovery, as has the number of Americans without health insurance. Most Americans are little, if any, better off than they were last year and definitely worse off than they were in 2000.

Apparently, soy makes you gay

A devil food is turning our kids into homosexuals

If you're a grownup, you're already developed, and you're able to fight off some of the damaging effects of soy. Babies aren't so fortunate. Research is now showing that when you feed your baby soy formula, you're giving him or her the equivalent of five birth control pills a day. A baby's endocrine system just can't cope with that kind of massive assault, so some damage is inevitable. At the extreme, the damage can be fatal.

Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That's why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products. (Most babies are bottle-fed during some part of their infancy, and one-fourth of them are getting soy milk!) Homosexuals often argue that their homosexuality is inborn because "I can't remember a time when I wasn't homosexual." No, homosexuality is always deviant. But now many of them can truthfully say that they can't remember a time when excess estrogen wasn't influencing them.

Not only that it may have caused the rapid increase in leukemia in children and obesity today.

In all seriousness, there do seem to be some health risks from soy products. See here and here. It also apparently doesn't bring all the health benefits that were touted. I guess, like most things, good in moderation.

We will sell no wine

For at least a few seconds...

The true character of a good wine can take years, even decades, to emerge. Hiroshi Tanaka, a Japanese inventor, says he can trim the wait time — to just a few seconds.

As liquor ages, Tanaka explains, the water molecules slowly rearrange themselves more closely around the alcohol molecules, giving the alcohol its distinctive mature taste. Tanaka puts that process into overdrive. He pours the wine into a 70-pound container outfitted with an electrolysis chamber. A few-second electrical zap gives the wine a slight charge, which breaks up the water molecules and allows them to blend more completely with the alcohol. Voilà: Instantly-aged pinot noir, “smoother and more mellow than before,” Tanaka’s American partner, Edward Alexander, claims.

Wild.

Polls

Iraq Going Badly And Getting Worse, Majority In CBS News Survey Doubt U.S. Can Win; 62% Call War 'A Mistake'

BUSH'S JOB HANDLING IRAQ

Now
Approve
21%
Disapprove
75%

11/14/2006
Approve
29%
Disapprove
67%

Global warming feedback loops

Global warming kills phytoplankton that take up CO2

Global warming will stifle life-giving microscopic plants that live in the surface layer of the oceans, cutting marine food production and accelerating climate change, according to a study published on Wednesday.

Phytoplankton are not only the foundation of the marine food chain, but every day they take more than 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, scientists from Oregon State University, NASA and four other institutions said.

McBush

Losing their brand name

The setting was a leadership summit Monday in Tallahassee, where the elder Bush had come to lecture and to pay homage to Jeb, who is leaving office with a 53 percent approval rating, putting him ninth among the 50 governors in popularity. The former president was reflecting on how well Jeb handled defeat in 1994 when he lost his composure. “He didn’t whine about it,” he said, putting a handkerchief to his face in an effort to stifle his sobbing.

That election turned out to be pivotal because it disrupted the plan Papa Bush had for his sons, which may be why he was crying, and why the country cries with him. The family’s grand design had the No. 2 son, Jeb, by far the brighter and more responsible, ascend to the presidency while George, the partying frat-boy type, settled for second best in Texas. The plan went awry when Jeb, contrary to conventional wisdom, lost in Florida, and George unexpectedly defeated Ann Richards in Texas. With the favored heir on the sidelines, the family calculus shifted. They’d go for the presidency with the son that won and not the one they wished had won.

The son who was wrongly launched has made such a mess of things that he has ruined the family franchise. Without getting too Oedipal, it’s fair to say that so many mistakes George W. Bush made are the result of his need to distinguish himself from his father and show that he’s smarter and tougher. His need to outdo his father and at the same time vindicate his father’s failure to get re-elected makes for a complicated stew of emotions. The irony is that the senior Bush, dismissed by Junior’s crowd as a country-club patrician, looks like a giant among presidents compared to his son. Junior told author Bob Woodward, for his book “Plan of Attack,” that he didn’t consult his father in planning the invasion of Iraq but consulted a higher authority, pointing, presumably, to the heavens.
...
This president has lost all capacity to lead. Eleven American servicemen died in Iraq on the day Bush was presented the report, which calls the situation there “grave and deteriorating.” Events on the ground threaten to overtake even this grim assessment. And we’re left to analyze Bush’s tender ego and whether he can reverse course on the folly that is killing and maiming countless Iraqis along with U.S. troops. Historians are already debating whether Bush is the worst president ever, or just among the four or five worst. He has little choice but to accept the fundamental direction of the Iraq Study Group. He’s up to his neck in quicksand, and they’ve thrown him a rope. It’s trendy to make fun of the over-the-hill types in Washington, but they’ve done a noble thing in reminding us that war is not just about spin and a way to win elections. It’s about coming together to find a way out, however unpalatable.

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Obama messes up someones game and then apologizes for it.

Weird stuff. Listen to the audio.

Background here.

Truthiness

is Named Word of the Year

After 12 months of naked partisanship on Capitol Hill, on cable TV and in the blogosphere, the word of the year for 2006 is ... "truthiness."

The word - if one can call it that - best summed up 2006, according to an online survey by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster.

"Truthiness" was credited to Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert, who defined it as "truth that comes from the gut, not books."

Baby Bush

The baby in chief

Bush said he talked about "the need for a new way forward in Iraq" in his morning session with leaders from both parties and chambers of Congress, "and we talked about the need to work together on this important subject."

But some Democrats came away unconvinced that major changes were coming.

"I just didn't feel there today, the president in his words or his demeanor, that he is going to do anything right away to change things drastically," Senate Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid, D-Nev., said following the Oval Office meeting. "He is tepid in what he talks about doing. Someone has to get the message to this man that there have to be significant changes."

Instead, Bush began his talk by comparing himself to President Harry S Truman, who launched the Truman Doctrine to fight communism, got bogged down in the Korean War and left office unpopular.

Bush said that "in years to come they realized he was right and then his doctrine became the standard for America," recalled Senate Majority Whip-elect Richard Durbin, D-Ill. "He's trying to position himself in history and to justify those who continue to stand by him, saying sometimes if you're right you're unpopular, and be prepared for criticism."

Durbin said he challenged Bush's analogy, reminding him that Truman had the NATO alliance behind him and negotiated with his enemies at the United Nations. Durbin said that's what the Iraq Study Group is recommending that Bush do now - work more with allies and negotiate with adversaries on Iraq.

Bush, Durbin said, "reacted very strongly. He got very animated in his response" and emphasized that he is "the commander in chief."

Btw, can anyone tell me how it works that we extradite people to Syria to be tortured but we won't talk to them?

Not gonna doit

Bush Reaction to Report Worries Father's Aides

"We have a classic case of circling the wagons," says a former adviser to Bush the elder. "If President Bush changes his policy in Iraq in a fundamental way, it undermines the whole premise of his presidency. I just don't believe he will ever do that."

White House advisers say Bush won't react in detail to the ISG report for several weeks, while he assesses it and awaits various internal government reports on the situation from his own advisers. Bush tells aides he doesn't want to "outsource" his role as commander in chief. Some Bush allies say this is a way to buy some time as the president tries to decide how to deal with rising pressure to alter his strategy in Iraq and hopes the critical media focus on the Iraq war will soften.

Ex-leaders son indicted in Miami for torture

Who could it be?

Oh, its the Ex-Liberian dictator's son. Who knew that torture was still illegal?

Crikey!

A tornado in London?

On freedoms

Legislators may reconsider suspending habeas corpus for detainees

Yum

What's wrong with our food?

The Great Spinach Scare of '06 is, thankfully, now behind us, but the bad news about our food keeps coming. Just this week, we've heard from Consumer Reports about a new study -- which, to be fair, the USDA disputes -- that says 83 percent of grocery store chickens are contaminated with either salmonella or campylobacter bacteria, or both. Then there are the 65 people apparently sickened by E. coli bacteria on green onions served in Taco Bells in New York, New Jersey and now, possibly, Pennsylvania. There may also be bacteria in the Razzamatazz at Jamba Juice, the smoothie chain, which has reported that some of the strawberries it used in the Southwest and California in the past week may have been contaminated by potentially lethal Listeria. And let’s not forget the unfestive and Listeria-inspired recall of ham and turkey by the HoneyBaked Ham company right before Thanksgiving.

But don't worry!

It's still better to eat than not to eat, because the certainty of death if you don't eat is 100 percent, where the certainty of death by eating is very tiny still, I'm sure, less than 1 percent. So any elementary grasp of statistics would tell you that you should continue to eat.

More on the Iraq Study Group

No middle ground

Feingold: don't believe the hype

Thank you sir may I have another!

Iraq Study Group executive summary (pdf) (some excerpts here)

There job is to unite! Not come up with a sensible plan. Anyway, it is really just more of the same.

Some thoughts:

More on primeval urges

Women need men

At the risk of sounding extraordinarily sexist, I'm convinced that women, even in the happiest of relationships, are programmed to worry their men are going to abandon them.

And they're terrified - in a way that most men find it frankly impossible to imagine. What's more, if their forebodings come true, women are more inclined to forgive an affair than a man if the shoe is on the other foot. That's not because they're nicer, more easygoing individuals. It's simply because their primeval urge to hang onto a male provider is so strong.

Important info

Why Men Cheat

Another mystery of the universe solved.

For your edification

Take the quiz

Your 'Do You Want the Terrorists to Win' Score: 100%

You are a terrorist-loving, Bush-bashing, "blame America first"-crowd traitor. You are in league with evil-doers who hate our freedoms. By all counts you are a liberal, and as such cleary desire the terrorists to succeed and impose their harsh theocratic restrictions on us all. You are fit to be hung for treason! Luckily George Bush is tapping your internet connection and is now aware of your thought-crime. Have a nice day.... in Guantanamo!

Do You Want the Terrorists to Win?

Au revoir!

The mustache says adios

Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his temporary appointment expires within weeks, the White House said Monday.

His carta de resignation.

Kansas Outlaws Practice Of Evolution

Lawmakers decried spontaneous genetic mutations

Britain to push for global climate deal by 2008

The UK is to use the warnings of irreversible climate change and the biggest economic slump since the 1930s, outlined in yesterday's Stern review, to press for a new global deal to curb carbon emissions.

The Liberal Party in Canada has just elected their new leader, a former environmental minister and who running on a platform of three pillars; economic prosperity, social justice, and environmental sustainability. I have never seen a federal level election with such talk about the environment. There is hope...

Proving what we already knew

Eating slowly really does make people eat less

A new study provides the first-ever scientific proof that if you eat slowly, you will eat less -- and you will enjoy the meal more.

Women consumed about 70 fewer calories when they were told to take their time eating a meal of pasta and sauce, compared to when they were instructed to eat it as quickly as possible. They also rated the meal as more pleasant when they ate slowly.

"They got more pleasure for (fewer) calories, and more satiety for (fewer) calories," Dr. Kathleen Melanson of the University of Rhode Island in Kingston told Reuters Health."

So if you eat slowly from a small plate you will undoubtably live 33.2% longer, and thus pollute 33.2% more!

Btw, we need to get rich people to give poor people rides

He's The Worst Ever

He's so the worst, that I don't even need to say who he is

Psyche!

When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."

However, snap! It was a joke to enlighten the people...

At the end of the one-hour show, rich with arguments on why visual identification of "the threat in our midst" would alleviate the public's fears, Klein revealed that he had staged a hoax. It drew out reactions that are not uncommon in post-9/11 America.

"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL (http://www.wmal.com/), which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Watching the watchers

Assults on the NSA - a rundown on the oversight of the NSA's domestic spying program. Looks like they will be busy.

Senate Judiciary Committee: Incoming chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has repeatedly voiced concern over the program, and fought GOP attempts to legalize it. Likely to hold insightful hearings on the matter; may investigate.

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence: To date, Incoming chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller's (D-WV) greatest act of outrage over the program came in the form of a secret letter, one copy of which he mailed to Dick Cheney and another which he locked away in a safe. (You can read the letter here.) He has since publicly expressed frustration at being unable to learn details of the program's effectiveness, and has called for "full access" to information about the program.

House Judiciary Committee: Incoming chairman Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) has made harsh statements about the program. Expect to see hearings and/or full-fledged investigations in the new year.

Northern Dist. of Calif. (Hepting v. AT&T): The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the suit against AT&T, but government lawyers have intervened in the case, attempting to get it dismissed by claiming the "state secrets" privilege -- national security would be compromised if the case moved forward. The judge rejected the motion; the government is appealing. Hearing won't happen before April 2007. (Note: Many of the class-action suits filed against telcos, including an ACLU case filed in Illinois, were transferred to the judge in this case, and are expected to eventually consolidate.)

Eastern Dist. of Mich. (ACLU v. NSA): - The advocacy group sued to stop the NSA program. This case prompted the historic ruling that the program is unconstitutional. The government has appealed that decision, and the judge has allowed the program to continue until the appeal is heard and decided. Oral arguments in appeal expected in January or February 2007.

Southern Dist. of Manhattan (CCR v. Bush): Advocacy group sues administration to stop NSA program. The judge has heard arguments heard on all preliminary motions, however the government is asking the case be consolidated with others. Judge appears to be holding up the suit until that issue is settled.

District of Oregon (Al-Haramain v. Bush): U.S. branch of Islamic charity suspects NSA improperly tapped its conversations via secret program. Government attempted to use state secrets privilege to get case dismissed. Judge rejected.

All over the place: Dozens of class-action suits have been filed against telcos all over the country. Over 30 have been transferred from their original courts to the Northern District of California. In over a dozen other cases, however, the plaintiffs are said to have opposed the transfer.

Justice Department - Office of Professional Responsibility: Earlier this year attempted to probe how top Justice officials, including attorney general Alberto Gonzales, reviewed, approved and monitored the NSA program. Stonewalled by President Bush, who refused to grant necessary security clearances to OPR investigators. OPR closed the investigation.

Justice Department - Inspector General: On Monday, announced an investigation into Justice officials' handling and application of intelligence gathered by the program. Appears targeted at possible wrongdoing by U.S. attorneys and lower-level officials, not senior executives and appointed officials. White House granted clearances to investigators. Ongoing.

NSA - Inspector General: Confirmed in January 2006 that the office had opened an audit into the program. In August, the IG handling the probe was promoted to Negroponte's staff, where he will oversee all counterespionage efforts in the intelligence community. There has been no word on the probe since it was announced in January.

White House - Privacy/Civil Liberties Oversight Board: This panel, chosen by the president and lacking investigative powers, nonetheless reviewed the NSA program and pronounced it all right with them.

Finally, public utility boards in about 20 states have taken action against the program. The boards -- state-level entities which oversee phone companies and other utilities -- have filed administrative complaints against the companies in some cases, and lawsuits in others. Even if the federal government isn't named in these matters, Justice lawyers have intervened in many to get them dismissed.

Nothing like evidenced based policy

Under 30, single? No sex for you!

The federal government's "no sex without marriage" message isn't just for kids anymore.

Now the government is targeting unmarried adults up to age 29 as part of its abstinence-only programs, which include millions of dollars in federal money that will be available to the states under revised federal grant guidelines for 2007.

The government says the change is a clarification. But critics say it's a clear signal of a more directed policy targeting the sexual behavior of adults.

"They've stepped over the line of common sense," said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that supports sex education. "To be preaching abstinence when 90% of people are having sex is in essence to lose touch with reality. It's an ideological campaign. It has nothing to do with public health."

Abstinence education programs, which have focused on preteens and teens, teach that abstaining from sex is the only effective or acceptable method to prevent pregnancy or disease. They give no instruction on birth control or safe sex.