WWE Suspends 10 Wrestlers For Possible Steroid Or Drug Use

In a story which I am sure surprises all of you, as much as it did me, World Wrestling Entertainment has suspended 10 of its wrestlers for violations of a policy that tests for steroids and other drugs, the company said Thursday. Stamford-based WWE says it issued suspension notices based on independent information from the prosecutor's office in Albany County, N.Y., which has been investigating illegal steroid sales.

The WWE instituted a wellness policy, last year that requires tests for steroids and other drugs, a wrestler faces a 30-day suspension without pay for a first violation, a 60-day suspension for a second violation and firing for a third violation. Performers are tested at least four times per year.

My question to Mr. Mcmahon would be, who isn't using steroids, or other performance enhancers in wrestling, including yourself? These guys are like junior Hulks, and they got that way normally? I am very skeptical, but will wait and see how this story plays out.

At least this "sport" is taking some actionable steps to get a grip on this issue, which sadly for America's pasttime, baseball does not seem the case. They have had their probes, but it seems like they are not that serious about addressing and stopping their use. Congressional critics, who have subpoenaed McGwire, Sosa and five other stars to testify in Thursday's House committee hearing on steroid use in the game, aren't convinced the sport's leaders have done enough to clean up the game. They point to a testing policy that was instituted before the 2003 season and revised each year since and still doesn't measure up to the standards set long ago by other sports.

Anyway perhaps this new development in an entertainment "sport", will cause baseball to refocus its' emphasis on cleaning up their "entertainment" sport. These individuals need to be honestly told that is alright to just play the sports as humans, and stop destroying themselves, their families and ultimately their sports, in the process of trying to be "superhuman".


WWE

NASA Sued Over Background Checks

In what looks like an over reaction to the 9/11 attacks, Homeland Security has made new rules for employees of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA, to insure no "terrorists" are working there.

On Tuesday, Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers sued NASA and the California Institute of Technology on Thursday, challenging extensive new background checks that the space exploration center and other federal agencies began requiring in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The NASA employees have until September 28th to sign the authorization forms for the background checks or face "voluntary" dismissal on October 27th.

The lawsuit says NASA is violating the Constitution by calling on employees, everyone from janitors to visiting professors, to permit investigators to delve into medical, financial and past employment records, and to question friends and acquaintances about everything from their finances to sex lives. Those who refuse could lose their jobs, the suit says.

A 2004 Homeland Security presidential directive mandated new security badges for millions of federal workers and contractors. The lawsuit says that they are going well beyond what the directive intended, and I think I have to agree. After all, how many of the hijacker's, were NASA/JPL scientists, employees, or janitors? If I am not mistaken the answer is zero. The answer should be yes to the background checks, but these go well beyond even what the Army does for a top level security clearance, unless they too have changed their background checks.

Here is the Army's background check regulations for secret and top secret clearances:The U.S. Government conducts background investigations to establish that applicants for national security positions are eligible for the required security clearances. Within the U.S. Army Cadet Command, such background investigations shall be completed and favorable security clearance determinations made prior to commissioning contracted cadets. Exceptions will be made only on a case-by-case basis.

a. Within the continental United States, the DSS conducts personnel security investigations. Outside the continental United States, the DSS employs Military Intelligence (MI) special agents to conduct these investigations.

b. A personnel security investigation encompasses the following qualities of an individual:
(1) Honesty; (2) Trustworthiness; (3) Character; (4) Loyalty; (5) Financial Responsibility; and (6) Reliability.

All of these areas present a view of the individual's entire character to the appropriate DOD officials so that USACCF adjudicators have complete and accurate information on which to make an appropriate security determination.

c. The investigation generally includes inquiries of law enforcement files, financial checks, and review of pertinent records. Some investigations will include an interview with the applicant and/or the applicant's friends, co-workers, employers, neighbors, and other individuals, as appropriate.

d. The DSS conducts several different types of personnel security investigations depending on the type of clearance or access the individual requires. For contracted cadet purposes, the National Agency Check, Local Agency Check, and Local Credit Check (NACLC) investigation and the Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) for Secret and Top Secret security clearances, respectively, are discussed.

(1) The NACLC investigation is the minimum standard investigation for all individuals entering the Armed Forces. For a contracted cadet, the NACLC is the minimum investigation required prior to being commissioned and being granted a Secret security clearance.

(2) For a contracted cadet selected in a MOS requiring a Top Secret security clearance (i.e., Military Intelligence), a favorably completed SSBI is the standard investigation required prior to placement in the MOS.

The suit indicates that most of these employees are not even involved in classified work, so this is just one more example of the terrorist's "winning" against us, as their purpose was to change how we live our lives here, and day after day, we are reminded how much our lives have changed. The Bush administration has substituted overreaching "policing", for common sense, in nearly area off the "war on terror".


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Iraq WMDs At U.N.

In a story at Yahoo News, United Nations weapons inspectors discovered a potentially hazardous chemical warfare agent that was taken from an Iraqi chemical weapons facility 11 years ago and mistakenly stored in their offices in the heart of midtown Manhattan all that time, officials said Thursday. The material, identified in inventory files as phosgene, a chemical substance used in World War I weapons, was discovered Aug. 24. It was only identified on Wednesday because it was marked simply with an inventory number, and officials had to check the many records in their vast archives, said Ewen Buchanan, a spokesman for the U.N. inspection agency.

So we were looking for WMD's in Iraq, and all the while we were "hiding" them HERE!!??

UN

Iraq IS Failing

The Associated Press has gotten a early look at a report that says: Congressional auditors have determined that the Iraqi government has failed to meet the vast majority of political and military goals laid out by lawmakers to assess President Bush's Iraq war strategy, The Associated Press has learned. The Government Accountability Office, or GAO, will report that at least 13 of the 18 benchmarks to measure the surge of U.S. troops to Iraq are unfulfilled ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline for Bush to give a detailed accounting of the situation eight months after he announced the policy, according to three officials familiar with the matter.

As anyone who reads my blog knows I have jumped ship on the Iraqi's as of the end of July when the "government" went on vacation, while our troops continued to fight and die for their "democracy". This is just one more indication that our troops are dying for ingrates.

Bring Our Great Men And Women Troops Home TODAY!!! No More Games With These "People"!!


Iraq

Taps For Craig

My computer was kaput, so I did not get a chance to write about Craig and the hilarity, of hypocrisy and Karma, meeting Head ON, as they did yesterday, wouldn't allow me to stop laughing, long enough to write about it later in the evening!!
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's political support eroded by the hour on Wednesday as fellow Republicans in Congress called for him to resign and party leaders pushed him unceremoniously from senior committee posts.

Just one more sanctimonious politician, who wants to tell us how to live and all the while "LIVING" more sinfully that "most" of us!! Looks like the Republicans are going to FINALLY Kick one of these idiots to the curb without a fight. I hope his wife and kids follow suit, and he can feel the full brunt of his lying and disrespect, to them and to anyone who believed in this JERK!!

Do I hear "taps" being played for his career! LOL!!


resign

2 Years Since Katrina

As New Orleans marks two years since Katrina hit, there were prayers, protests and a lingering disgust with the government's response to Hurricane Katrina marked the disaster's second anniversary Wednesday, with a presidential visit doing little to mollify those still displaced by the storm.
I think that while there has been a mess from the top down and at all levels of government, the people of New Orleans have a pretty good attitude. I do not believe that many people would put up with the kind of inaction, wrong actions, and just plain corruption and thievery that has gone on during the recovery efforts.
Hopefully, more will be going right than wrong from this day forward, and there definitely needs to be accountability for the past mistakes, but it really cannot all be laid at Bush's doorstep, though he and his administration have a lot to answer for during the fiasco that followed Katrina's wake. I think that Mayor Ray Nagin , as well as Governor Kathleen Blanco, should get their share of the blame as well. They were right there on the "ground" and they waited too long to request federal assistance I really don't want to blame the people who ignored the warnings until it was much too late. The fact that it had been so long since a major storm hit, they waited through shear complacency, and thinking it would be alright.
It is hindsight, but hopefully, the whole country has learned from this and will make quicker decisions that can save people lives in future disaster's, such as we just saw along the Gulf Coast recently with Hurricane Dean, where preparations and evacuations started well ahead of landfall. It did not greatly effect Texas, but the state and city officials made correct decisions to make sure people would not die if it did hit.
President Bush has awhile left in his term, and he needs to make sure that his "promises" are kept to the people who survived Katrina, and trying to cope with the terrible aftermath.


:) "There should also be an investigation into why President Bush hates Greece, and personally, set fires to burn so much of their country, but that is for a future post. Also, I cannot understand why he keep s making my computer crash??!" :)


New Orleans

Vick IS A Liar And Dog Killer

In one of the worst, "I just got arrested and am going to jail" moments inrecent history Michael Vick invoked the name of "Jesus" to make everything alright.

First, Michael Vick apologized to all the people he lied to. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank. Coach Bobby Petrino. His teammates. "I was not honest and forthright in our discussions," the star quarterback said Monday, somber and deliberate and not speaking from notes. Then he apologized to "all the young kids out there for my immature acts.". "I need to grow up," he added.

He later said that he had "found" Jesus, and even though I wanted to throw up, I continued to listen to listen to this Dog Killer as he went on and on to hit every "defense" attorney talking point to try and get a better sentence!! I hope that he not only gets a tough Federal sentence, but I hope that Virginia and the IRS go after this "man'. He needs to be made an example of! And the example would be that no matter who you are, you will be punished if you do such "heinous" acts, EVEN if it is just to animals!!


Dogs

al-Qaeda Plots To Hit West

There is an interesting story indicating that al-Qaeda has an active plot to hit the West. The United States knows about it but doesn’t have enough tactical detail to issue a precise warning or raise the threat level, says Vice Admiral (ret.) John Scott Redd, who heads the government’s National Counterterrorism Center. In an interview at his headquarters near Washington, D.C., Redd told Newsweek’s Mark Hosenball and Jeffrey Bartholet that the country is better prepared than ever to counter such threats. But he also believes another successful terror attack on the U.S. homeland is inevitable.

Please take a few moments to read the entire story as it is quite interesting and parellels what many of us believe, and have said or written about in recent weeks. It is not so we can be convinced it is alright to attack another country, (Iran?), but so we can remain vigilant everyday!

al-Qaeda

Search WILL Continue For Utah Miners

There are been a change in plans from this morning to this afternoon, as it was just announced that search efforts for the missing Utah miners will continue.

Despite three weeks of drilling and digging that have revealed no signs of life from six men trapped inside a collapsed coal mine, an attorney for families of the miners said Sunday the search will continue. Lawyer Colin King said federal and company officials told him and the miners' relatives that a robotic camera would be lowered into a hole drilled during previous efforts to find the men.

The robotic camera was used at the World Trade Centers after 9/11, as it has the ability to move about the rubble. This is a hopeful sign for the miner's families who were becoming despondent over the talk of ending the search efforts. May this new device finally find these miner's and give the families some closer.

robotic camera

Greek Fires Reach Ancient Olympics

There have been a few arrests in what may turn out to be one of the largest arson fires in modern Greece.One of the individuals is a 65-year-old man, who witnesses said they saw torching areas in the southern Peloponnese region near the town of Areopolis, located 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Athens, and the other is a 77-year-old woman who reportedly started a fire while cooking in her garden in Zaharo, one of the hardest hit areas in the south. Authorities have said there may be as many as five more arrests may be made in connection to the fires.

The massive fires consuming large areas of southern Greece for a third day raced toward the site of the ancient Olympics on Sunday, engulfing villages and forests as the flames reached one of the most revered sites of antiquity. At least 57 people have been killed in the country's worst wildfires in decades, including five who died Sunday in a new blaze on the island of Evia and a woman whose body was found in a village near Ancient Olympia. There were fears the death toll could rise as new fires broke out and strong winds pushed flames through villages and hamlets.

The scenes they showed on the news this morning were horrific, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the Grecian citizens.

olympics

6th Hole In Utah Mine Finds Nothing

In a story at Yahoo News this morning the news is not good. The sixth hole drilled to find the miners in Utah, did not find any sign of them.

What next? That was the question remaining after a drill punched a sixth hole through a mine shaft and found no sign of six miners last seen before a massive collapse nearly three weeks ago. Federal safety officials told families of the missing miners they would conduct testing — air samples, signaling in hopes of a response from the men, and dropping a video camera into the mine shaft — but have been less than hopeful about the results, which were expected to be announced Sunday.

The families are obviously upset and want them to continue looking for the miners until they find them, no matter how long it takes. There was some speculation that they might try a seventh hole, but it was not high on their priority list. The search should continue through drilling holes, as long as it does not put anyone else in danger.

I have been wondering if there is some other means of detecting open spaces underground, where they might be holed up. One method I looked up was GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar), and I am not sure if it is viable in the type of ground where the mine is located, but is anyone looking into these other possibilities. I have a link to the wikipedia information for a deeper explanation of GPR, but basically it uses radio waves to find things underground, and can penetrate anywhere from 0.3 centimeters to 15 miles depending on the make-up of the ground it is being used on, and its' electrical conductivity.

These miners deserve every legitimate effort be made to find and recover them, and my hopes are that Mr. Murray and company will do the right thing and keep looking for a while longer. Let the families of the miners know that everything humanely or technically possible was done, before making the decision to turn this mine into a tomb.

sixth


GPR

Bird Flu Lands On Bali

There is a story at Time/CNN which should once again remind us that even though the avian bird flu is not in the headlines much, it is still out there, and can still pose a huge risk to the world.

It says that the island of Bali has always been a separate part of Indonesia. A Hindu province inside the biggest Muslim country in the world, a jet-setting resort inside a poor, rural nation, and a zone free of human cases of avian influenza in the nation that has recorded the most bird flu infections in the world. But Bali is bird flu free no longer. Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the death of a young Balinese woman from H5N1 avian flu, the second case on the island in less than a month. Although Indonesian and WHO officials were quick to note that there was nothing clinically unusual about the Bali deaths, both victims apparently contracted the virus from infected poultry, the presence of human bird flu cases on a small island that hosts well over a million foreign tourists a year only adds to fears that H5N1 could eventually trigger a deadly flu pandemic that could spread around the world.

It is nice to see that the Indonesian government is now cooperating with the WHO, as all countries should be doing, so that if it does make the jump, to a human to human transmission virus, that they will be in a position to treat it quickly and effectively. It is not a frighten the heck out of us story, but a precautionary one, to give people who may be traveling to Bali, or Indonesia a heads up.

I have several former co-workers and current friends, at Panda Express, who are from Indonesia, and have family still living there, and said they are worried at how rapidly the "flu" has spread throughout their nation. I worry as well, because two former co-workers that I like very much, have returned to live in Indonesia, and live near poultry farms. So for their sake and all of ours, I hope a "cure" can be found soon.

avian

Hillary Is Right?

It is a shame that she has said a truth, but Senator Hillary Clinton said on Thursday, the New York senator told supporters in Concord that she could defeat any Republican nominee, in part because she already knows how her opponents will go after her and because she is good at handling the unexpected. But, if there is another terrorist attack before the election, the Republicans will win. This is not only a truth, but a certainty, because the al-Qaeda Democrat Party is not a "choice" in defending this country from attacks, as they have done everything they can to "assist" in getting americans killed.

An internet aquintance of mine, Lionus Unleashed has an excellent post on MySpace.com about why Hillary Clinton is the Republican's candidate of "choice". If you get a chance please read it and you may concur with his conclusions. I am a Independent/Republican by nature, so I am not the one to say who should be the Democratic candidate. I kind of liked Hillary before she recanted her vote for the war in Iraq, as I thought it would be fun to watch all of the "my" age white men having heart attacks if she was elected President in 2008. That hope was purely for the entertainment value, rather than a political reason, as sometimes I have a sadistic nature as well.

Right

Did They Find Russian Heirs Remains

In a story at Yahoo News there are reports that will intrigue people like myself that are interested in histories mysteries. In a mystery from the days of the Bolshevik revolution it would seem that they may have found the remains of the last czar's hemophiliac son and heir to the Russian throne, missing since the royal family was gunned down nine decades ago by Bolsheviks in a basement room, may have been found, an archaeologist said Thursday. Bones were found in a burned area in the ground near Yekaterinburg, the city where Czar Nicholas II and his wife and children were held prisoner and then shot in 1918.

This is a cool story and hopefully the finds will put an end to this history mystery.

heir

Nix The Vick Deal

In a story at MSNBC.com it says that when Michael Vick pleads guilty to dogfighting charges on Monday, he reportedly won't admit any guilt to killing dogs or gambling on dogfighting as detailed in his federal indictment, ESPN reported Thursday. The ex-Atlanta Falcons quarterback will admit to one count of interstate commerce for the purpose of taking dogs across state lines for dogfighting.

This is a travesty and the prosecutor's should nix the deal and take this scumbag to court and try him on all the charges they can pile on him. His "friends" are willing to testify that he took part in the brutal abuse and killings of the underperforming dogs and he should have to admit that he did it or there should be no deal.

I used to think that he was a talented athlete, but there is definitely something evil inside this man, that would allow him to treat animals in such a vicious way, and even though he is taking a plea deal, I bet in his twisted mind, he doesn't think he did anything "wrong" and probably cannot believe all the fuss over a "few" dogs, from the rest of us.

Dogs

Report Shows Iraqi Government Is Precarious

There is a story at MSNBC.com concerning the Iraqi government and in a 10 page report it indiates that the government is faltering.

The Iraqi government will become more precarious over the next six to 12 months and its security forces have not improved enough to operate without outside help, intelligence analysts conclude in a new National Intelligence Estimate. The analysts concluded that the level of overall violence is high, Iraq's sectarian groups remain unreconciled, and al-Qaeda in Iraq is still able to conduct its highly visible attacks.

How much did they spend on this report, when it should be obvious to everyone, friend and foe, that this government is a "government" in name only. You have Sunni ministers walking out, the whole government "vacationing" for the month of August, and al-Maliki unable to get anything done. It is a terrible shame that we have given these people a "chance" at a better life, and they are choosing to sqaunder it!

iraq

21 Only Vote 3 Months Away

There is a story in the morning press briefing from the Iowa Press-Citizen, that is reminded those who wish to vote on the 21 only ordinance this November 6th, that you must be registered to vote by October 26th. I read on one of the comments below the story that there had been some mis-information, saying that there would be same day registeration allowed, and the person commenting wanted it known that it would not be the case, and to remind everyone to be registered by October 26th.

With the 21-ordinance vote less than three months away, Iowa City residents and University of Iowa students have launched campaigns to mobilize voters to oppose a measure they said would do more harm than good.

This is becoming a big issue and I think it will get a big turn out. There seems to be a lot of speculation that this issue will be defeated at the ballot box, but do not let this talk allow you to think that your vote is not needed, as complacency, and staying home on November 6th, could cause this ordinance to pass, as you can be sure the pro 21 people will be out in force.

We must insure that this ordinance is defeated by a large enough margin, so they will not bring it up again for a good long while. Let us also make sure that any councilmen or women who supported this ordinance also go down to defeat.

Go students!! 18 should be the legal drinking age again, as it surely is the legal dying age, for those who serve in the military!! You can fight and die for your country, but you cannot have a beer before you die, how pathetic, that our priorities are so screwed up!!

21

Report Says CIA Missed Chances To Stop al-Qaeda

In a story released today about the report concerning the CIA's handling of al-Qaeda and Osama bin-Laden before 9/11, and the utter chaos that existed within the agency during the period between 1993 and 2001. There will be ample opportunity to throw blame in a number of corners, from the head of the agency, George Tenet, to low level staffer's who let crucial information go through their collective fingers and not being passed on to anyone of importance.

The CIA's top leaders failed to use their available capabilities, never developed a comprehensive plan to stop al-Qaeda and missed crucial opportunities to thwart two hijackers in the run-up to Sept. 11, 2001, the agency's own watchdog concluded in a very harsh report released Tuesday. Completed in June 2005 and kept classified until now, the 19-page executive summary finds extensive fault with the actions of senior CIA leaders and others beneath them. "The agency and its officers did not discharge their responsibilities in a satisfactory manner," the CIA inspector general found.

I hope that this information will be used to better the agency and what they need to do now, instead of just rehashing old squabbles about whose fault it was finally. The Republican's keep pointing at President Clinton, and the Democrats point at President Bush's lack of serious focus on al-Qaeda or bin-Laden in the run-up to 9/11. The truth is that it a little of everybody's fault. President Clinton was apprehesive about what level of force to use to get bin-Laden, as he was already accused of "wag the dog" politics when he sent troops to Kosovo during that conflict, as well as the time he fired missiles into Afghanistan to "get" bin-Laden. Also, it has been shown that when the Bush Administration first got into the White House, terrorism and bin-Laden were low on their list of priorities. So we have a compilation of "whose fault is it anyway", and it gets us no where, if we do not learn from it, and correct the errors, before they hit us again.

No matter who we ultimately blame for 9/11, we can be sure that sooner or later they will keep their word and "Hit us Again", and they will try and make it bigger and badder than 9/11. That my friends is the one certainty in all of this. "They are Coming Back to hit us again"!!

CIA

ndrangheta Mob More Powerful Than Cosa Nostra

In a story coming out of Rome, less than an hour ago, a mob syndicate, that is more brutal and more powerful than the Cosa Nostra has struck at some of its' enemies in the heart of Germany.

The bullet-riddled bodies of six young Italians who had just dined at a pizzeria in Germany's industrial heartland told the world last week what Italian authorities already knew: The clannish 'ndrangheta crime syndicate had come of age as an international force.

It seems that as the Italian authorities were cracking down on the Cosa Nostra, during the 1990's, this new syndicate was gaining power through the control of heroin and then cocaine, and now control the cocaine supplies in all of Europe.

The story relates how these clans from the Calabria area of Sicily have through pacts, marriages, and other tight associations, made it almost impossible to penetrate by the Italian law enforcement authorities.

The clans live in a very small area of the Aspromonte mountains, but their reach is world-wide, as their relatives have emigrated to Canada, South America, Australia, and the United States, and provides them with a huge support network.

They have been around for quite awhile, but have only made such huge moves to take over everything in the last decade or so. This looks like one more group, that our law enforcement personnel will have to worry about, behind the regular mob, latino violent gangs like MS 13, and other home grown criminal gangs.

I am sure we will be hearing a great deal more about this group, as they expand their criminal empire, and more blood is spilled.

mob

2 Hawkeyes Suspended Indefinitely

In a disturbing story in the morning Hawkeye Update from the Iowa Press-Citizen it says that two University of Iowa football players have been suspended indefinitely following their arrest Sunday. Sophomore wide receivers Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman were taken into custody by University of Iowa Police. They were charged with unauthorized use of a credit card and were later released on their own recognizance.

What is wrong with these people? They have everything going for them, as is evidenced by the fact that Douglas led the nation in number of receptions by a freshman and started in 11 Hawkeye games. He was looked upon to have a great year this season and now, because someone did not teach him or Bowman right from wrong, they may have ended their careers, before they even had a chance to start, and may well end up in prison, if found guilty. They not only may have thrown away their sports careers, but their academic lives as well.

Perhaps some ethics training is in order for all incoming freshman, as well as for K-12 grades, because it is easy to see in the number of shoplifting arrests alone, made at the mall that many young people do not see stealing in many forms as being wrong. I was told by security that most of the time that they catch people stealing, that they have enough money on them, to pay for the item, but just choose to take it. I know this is a little afield from the story, but the ethics lapse is evident not in just their case, but in others as I mentioned about the mall "thieves", etc.,. "Everybody" wants to be a Gansta or a Thug and more is the pity.

It is possible that because Douglas and Bowman do not seem to have any other criminal records, or none that are known yet, they may get off with lesser sentences, and if they do, hopefully they will have learned a lesson of a lifetime, and can have more honest lives. We will keep watching as the case moves forward.

suspended

Is Time Travel In Our Future

After the series of sad stories in the news last week, I was happy to find a story with a little more hopeful outlook on the future. It is a story about a new theory concerning the potential for time travel, and while it may be fantasy or highly unlikely, it is interesting nontheless.

A new concept for a time machine could possibly enable distant future generations to travel into the past, research now suggests. Unlike past ideas for time machines, this new concept does not require exotic, theoretical forms of matter. Still, this new idea requires technology far more advanced than anything existing today, and major questions remain as to whether any time machine would ever prove stable enough to enable actual travel back in time.

The story has a few other links at the bottom of the page for more information about time travel and why it may or may not be possible.

time

Is Utah Mine To Become A Tomb

It would seem that the time to give up in the Utah mine collapse hs come, and it will now become a tomb for the six miners who were trapped after it caved-in nearly two weeks ago.

Six coal miners caught in a cave-in may never be found and could forever be lost to the still-quivering mountain, officials conceded Sunday, abandoning the optimism they've maintained publicly for nearly two weeks. Relatives responded by accusing federal officials and the mine's owners of quitting on the rescue effort and leaving the men for dead.

May these miners rest in peace, and NOW is the time to make sure that answers are found for what caused the cave-in, and whether there was negligence on the part of the mine owners or the government agency that watches over mine safety. It is sad that six men and three rescuers died in this mine, and may their deaths' not be in vain!!

Tomb

Ground Zero Blaze Claims 2 And A Firemans Prayer

Another day of sadness and loss near ground zero, as a blaze killed two firefighters in an abandoned skyscraper being dismantled next to the World Trade Center.The governor said Sunday, that the blaze may have been harder to combat because of plastics required by a federal agency to control asbestos.

The blaze broke out Saturday on the 17th floor of the former Deutsche Bank office building, which has been a toxic site since it was damaged by falling wreckage when the trade center's twin towers collapsed and contaminated by toxic dust.

The firefighters who died, Robert Beddia, 53, and Joseph Graffagnino, 33, were trapped and inhaled a great deal of smoke, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

The collapse of the twin Trade Center towers across the street killed 343 firefighters. Eleven of them came from the same firehouse where Beddia and Graffagnino were based.

Yesterday we had the sad news that they will probably not be able to reach the miners for quite sometime, whether they are alive or dead, and that it cost the lives of three more miners, who had been working in the rescue operation.

Below is a "fireman's prayer" and a link to a prayer called the "rescuer's prayer" by Angela Kaye Boyce, as well as a very moving website for 9/11 victim's and other information about the great sacrifice of firefighter's and recuer's. It is a somber weekend and a moment of thought or prayer cannot hurt. Take care!


A Fireman's Prayer
When I am called to duty, God,
Whenever flames may rage;
Give me strength to save some life,
Whatever be its age.
Help me embrace a little child
Before it is too late
Or save an older person
From the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert
And hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently
To put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling
And to give the best in me
To guard my every neighbor
And protect his property.
And if, according to my fate,
I am to lose my life,
Please bless with your protecting
My children and my wife.
- Author Unknown


rescuers

More Arrests In Newark Execution Style Killings

I was just reading a story at MSNBC News concerning the execution-style school shootings in Newark, N.J. on August 4th. It says that Authorities arrested two more suspects Saturday in the slayings of three college students who were shot execution-style in a schoolyard, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five.

It would seem that the local, state and federal authorities have done a very good job of catching up with the suspects in this heinous crime, and the story says that they are only seeking one additional suspect in the case. This is an example of law enforcement, and the public cooperating to bring a case to a successful conclusion. We can only hope that the prosecutor's do not "drop the ball" in this case as these "suspects" need to spend the rest of their lives behind bars at the very least.

I checked and found that while New Jersey does have a death penalty statute on the books, they have not executed anyone since 1963, so these young suspects could receive a death sentence if found guilty, but it is highly unlikely that they would be executed. As of May, of this year the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission, was considering abolishing the law altogether, but I could find no final determination by them.

I have been a proponent of the death penalty in some egregious cases such as this one, I have been coming around to the idea that the death penalty is actually the lesser of the two punishments, as you get to be put out of your "misery", instead of living with the consequences of the killings. Perhaps, being alive and knowing that you put yourself in a cell, until the end of your days, might be a harsher and more fitting punishment. After all, some of these suspects are as young as 16, and could possibly live to be 70 or older, and they would spend all of that time locked away. Isn't the prospect of being locked up for 50 or more years more frightening than death?

My condolences to the families and my best to the law enforcement personnel, who are going to get all of these killers, and my hope that these killers receive life in prison, without possibility of parole, a true "death sentence"!!

suspects

Link To Coal Miners Prayer

As news from the Utah coal mine continues to be discouraging, I have found a link to a website called Letcher County Coal Miners' Memorial, and there is a Coal Miner's Prayer written by a Margie McAlaster. In addition to the prayer there are links to other sites, as well as information about other mine disasters and a memorial fund for the families of miner's who have lost their lives in the mines.

Please take a few moments to check it out, I think you will find it informative as well as very moving. Thank you.

Officials at the Utah mine declared it too dangerous to tunnel inside the mountain, and instead pinned their hopes on a fourth hole being drilled into the mine to look for any sign of the missing men.


prayer

Military Suicides Rising

There is a very troubling story I was reading on the Huffington Post moments ago by a Paul Reickhoff. He writes, "I've talked before about troops' and veterans' suicides and the looming mental health crisis facing those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan". The numbers in today's new military report are a bleak reminder that this problem isn't going away. In fact, it is growing. According to the Army Suicide Event Report (ASER), 2006 marks the highest rate of military suicides in 26 years, and more than a quarter of those troops killed themselves while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. A total of ninety-nine U.S. soldiers killed themselves last year.

The President needs to implement the six recommendations laid out for him by the Dole-Shalala Commission, as soon as possible, to assist the men and women we have sent into combat. These troops deserve our every consideration in getting them the help that they need to live mentally healthy lives.

suicides

Does Man Have Beef With Johns Market

There is a serious and yet amusing little story at the Iowa Press Citizen update page.

Iowa City Police arrested a man on Thursday after trying to steal two angus ribeye steaks from the meat cooler at John’s Grocery at 401 E. College St. But the defendant, Earl Scott Surette, 47, of North Liberty didn’t just try to walk out with the steaks. According to police, an employee at John’s saw Surette stick the two steaks down his pants and walk out the front door without paying.

Maybe the police will need to set up a "steak out" at the market! LOL!

Have a Great Weekend!!
Beef

Update On Michael Vick

Two of Michael Vick's co-defendants have entered plea agreements and admit that Vick helped them hang and drown underperforming dogs.

Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta entered plea agreements and joined defendant Tony Taylor of Hampton, who struck a similar deal last month. The agreements require the three to cooperate in the government's case against Vick.

This leaves Michael Vick to seek his own plea agreement, or face all three of these men in court, and they shall testify against him as part of their plea agreements. Mr. Vick is in serious trouble and faces not only prison, but the end of his NFL career. The story keeps getting more grisly by the day, and if he did what his co-defendants are saying, then he does not deserve a deal, and should sit in prison for a good long time. It is disgusting and sickening that men would abuse animals in this fashion, and it is to bad these "men" cannot be treated in a similar manner.
plea

More Tragedy At Utah Mine

It has been another tragic day at the Utah mine, where rescuers were killed as another "bump" caused part of the tunnel to collapse. This is just one more in a series of set backs for the people trying to find the 6 missing miners from a week and a half ago.

The search for six miners missing deep underground was abruptly halted after a second cave-in killed three rescue workers and injured at least six others who were trying to tunnel through rubble to reach them.

It would seem that the only safe thing to do is to keep drilling smaller holes from the top and try and find them that way and not send anymore men into the mine to try and dig through, as the mountain continues to settle. The mine is taking a terrible toll on everyone involved and more loss of life is not needed. They tried valiantly to find the missing miners, but now more families are destroyed due to their efforts and new losses. It is a very sad day for these Utah miners and their families and our prayers go out to them.

mine

A Day in The Life Of An Illegal

The reality of life as an illegal alien in this country can be seen in this story which shows how Life is harsh for the 4,000 migrant workers who live in the Desert Mobile Home Park, where hundreds of dilapidated dwellings sit along dirt streets. The 110-degree air is thick with large black flies and the stench of raw sewage. Wild dogs prowl the alleys.

Alien

Confllict Between Shiite Factions Increases

The news from Iraq is better is some aspects, such as a report showing that major attacks are nearly halved from a month ago, but the Shiite on Shiite violence that we wrote about the other day, seems to be getting worse by the day.

As political infighting deepens nationwide, the US military fight against insurgents rages. On Saturday, five Americans were killed south of Baghdad, four in one roadside bombings. Those deaths raise the number of US military personnel killed in Iraq to at least 3,690 since March 2003.

The widening split among Shiites parallels the national Iraqi political fissures. On Sunday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called for meetings to begin Monday with the country's main political leaders to fix the national political paralysis.

The jeopardy of our troops being in the middle of not just a civil war, but a series of civil wars has got to be troubling to us all. It is a shame that just as we are making progress militarily against the terrorists/insurgents, an old rivalry is being renewed, which can only spiral out of control, with killings and the reprisal killings which result.

Shiite

Rove To Go

In a story just a short time ago it was announced that Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, will leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

This has got to be seen as a big deal as Karl Rove has been with President Bush since the beginning of his political career in Texas, and has been with him throughout his Governorship right up to the two terms in the White House.

Mr. Rove was also the person that Robert Novak, a famous newspaper columnist said gave him the name of the CIA operative, Valerie Plame, not "Scooter” Libby. Mr. Rove has not faced any criminal charges in that matter, and has testified several times before a grand jury investigating the incident.

Critics of Karl Rove think that he is leaving before the “other shoe drops” in the Plame outing as well as his role in the firing of the U.S. Attorney’s, for which he refuses to testify before Congress, at President Bush’s instruction.

However, in the announcement he said that he was going home to take care of his family, as it has been a long, touch time and his family needs him home.

Whatever the real reason it would seem that as in many admnistrations, when you get to the “4th quarter” a lot of people start thinking of their lives after the White House and begin moving into new careers, retirement, or just to do something different. Mr. Rove has expressed an interest in writing a book about his experiences, which should be an interesting read.

After the Democrats took control of Congress in November, some top administration officials have announced their resignations. Among those who have left are White House counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Rob Portman, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and Meghan O'Sullivan, another deputy national security adviser who worked on Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was forced out immediately after the election due to his handling of the Iraq War.

It says also that this makes Bush more of a lame duck, but he is in good company, as the latest polls show that even though his standings in our eyes is very low, the Congress is even lower, so they are pretty much a lame duck Congress as well. This is probably good, because more often than not, when the President and Congress cannot get anything done, our country is better off, and costs us less tax dollars.

Obviously, there are some IMPORTANT things that they do need to work on, such as the war in Iraq, funding to keep the government running, infrastructure issues, etc., that the lame ducks hopefully can get accomplished, but as for most of the other pork barrel projects and earmarks they could surely be left aside for our betterment.

I am not a big fan of Mr. Rove, but he has shown to be smart, sneaky, and successful in much of what he has done throughout his association with President Bush, and we will need a little time to see what his legacy was to this White House and this country.

Rove

Italians Interrupt Iraqi Arms Deal

It would seem that the left hand may not know what the right hand is doing in Iraq, as evidenced by the story on Yahoo News this morning, which reads. In a hidden corner of Rome's busy Fiumicino Airport, police dug quietly through a traveler's checked baggage, looking for smuggled drugs. What they found instead was a catalog of weapons, a clue to something bigger.

There have been reports of "missing" guns from our own United States Command in Iraq over the last few weeks, so this "black" channel deal needs to be looked at and our leaders need to get a full accounting as to what the Iraqi Government is doing. It makes us look pretty pathetic to be fighting for their nation and having our "partners" do such things to us.

It would seem that with all the killing already occurring in Iraq, that there is surely enough guns already in that country. Tragically, it is probably not the only "black" channel deal going on, and each new weapon introduced, just adds fuel to the fire of self-destruction.

Arms

Border Enforcement Is WORKING

Could it be that our politicians have been disingenuous with us on one of the most important issues facing this country. I refer to illegal immigration and the fact that from President Bush to Senator's McCain, Reid, Kennedy, et al, there assertion that nothing could be done to stop the influx of illegals and therefore we should give them amnesty, is being shown to be wrong. As you can see from the following story being reported today, that with stepped up enforcement of CURRENT Laws, and strict policing of the border, the number of illegals entering the country is dropping.

The politicians were having too much fun playing politics with this important issue and I hope it comes back to bite them in the next election. We will remind people from time to time where each of the major Senators and Congressmen stood on this issue and perhaps we can force them from office. First to go should be Senator's McCain and Reid. Senator McCain for calling everyone a racist who wasn't for his bill and his whining as it went down to defeat, and Senator Reid for thinking it would be a bonanza for the Democratic party as they would mostly chooset their party affiliation. Also we need to vote out Speaker of the House Pelosi for the same sorry reason, in addition to the active support of the al-Qaeda party by her and Reid. Obviously, Senator Kennedy is safe as they don't actually vote anymore, they merely coronate him as Senator for life in Massachussett's. There are other's that we will write about throughout the run up to the elections, in particular those" who voted against, before they voted for it" crowd.

The story begins at the Mexican shelters, usually the last stop for northbound migrants, are filling with southbound deportees. Fewer migrants are crossing in the wind-swept deserts along an increasingly fortified border. Far to the north, fields are empty at harvest time as workplace raids become more common.

illegal

Survivable Space In Utah Mine?

In a story that has gripped much of the nation the last few days, there was a tiny, glimmer of hope at 2:51 C.S.T., as a video camera lowered into mine where six miners have been missing for more than five days shows "survivable space," a federal official said Saturday, but attempts to signal the miners were met by silence.

This is not much, but this morning there was an even gloomier assessment of the miner's fate, so finding this space has spurred the rescuers on even more. Our prayers and best wishes continue to go out to the men, their families, and co-worker's.

I have become increasingly annoyed at the tone of the question's asked by the press. They are trying to make out that Bob Murray, head of Murray Energy Corp., and co-owner of the mine was running a dangerous mine with many safety violations. This contradicts what other news people and mining experts are saying, which indicates that this mining operation was one of the better run mines in the country. It is true that at some of their other mining operation, Galatia, Il. for example where there have been some 2,787 violations since 2005.

Obviously, there are many question's to ask, and have answered, but right now, please stay focused on the prize, which is the recovery of the miner's, whether they are alive or dead!

Horrible Animal Neglect In Johnson County

There has been a very sad story unfolding over the last few days in Johnson County concerning the neglect and abuse of many dogs and goats by an elderly woman. A friend of ours was the actual first responder and found the woman in a small trailer covered in feces and the place filled with feces covered alive and dead animals. He said that the was no air conditioning, so you can image how overpowering the stench would have been. We have donated two big bags of dog food and signed up to assist with bathing and caring for the animals and I was so impressed with how many people have turned up at the shelter to help out. When something like this happens it reminds me how good people can be and the compassion is wonderful to see.

I hope that this comes to a satisfactory conclusion and my concern was for this woman as well, how she find herself in this deplorable situation. Malinda Dittberner is 83 years old, and my first thought upon hearing this story, was that she must have dementia or something, that would allow her to think that living in such squalor was alright. I hope that if there is something of this nature involved, that she gets the care she needs, as elder abuse is a reality in this country as well as animal abuse. It is a sad situation no matter what caused it and if you can help, please do so.

The story reads, Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek announced Friday that an agreement concerning the custody of the 60 dogs, 20 goats and other farm animals seized from a Solon farm this week has been reached, but the details of the agreement will not be revealed until Monday. Furthermore, a decision related to any charges will not be made until the week of Aug. 20.

Animals

Reprimands In Tillman Case

Surely, the story that I was just reading in regard to the Cpl. Pat Tillman, friendly fire incident cannot be where this ends, but it shows that those reponsible, may not be held fully accountable.

Official reprimands issued to three high-ranking Army officers are only mildly critical of their mistakes after the friendly fire death of Pat Tillman and at times praise the officers.

The Tillman family deserves to have complete and credible answers from the military and the White House as to what happened to their son. So far what they have received is akin to another slap in the face, and those who know the truth and are not revealing it should be ashamed and need to come forward so this can be put to rest and give these people the respect they deserve. The reprimands are so laced with compliments, they can barely be called "reprimands" in any real sense. Shameful!!

Reprimands

Cold War Redux

In a story I was reading from yesterday, there is one more indication that we may be headed for another Cold War with Russia, as President Bush and President Putin have made many missteps, and has led to mistrust between our two nations.

There is the ongoing flap over the missile defense radar system, that President Bush is trying to install in Poland, supposedly to protect Europe from "rogue" states, that may have nuclear missiles. President Putin does not believe this explanation, and sees it as a threat to Russia, with some good reason. President Bush seems to intentionally to be trying to provoke President Putin, who is trying to keep some respect in the world for Russia's still formidable military power.

Russian bombers have flown to the island of Guam — home to a major U.S. military base — for the first time since the Cold War in an exercise intended to show the Kremlin's resurgent military power, an air force general said Thursday.

President Bush needs to try an renewed "friendship" approach to President Putin, and Russia in general, as we really do not need another "Cold War",in addition to all of our very Real wars at this moment in time.

Cold War

Update On Execution Style Murders In Newark

In an update to the story on the execution style murders of the three Newark children there is some breaking good and bad news. There have been two people arrested and further arrests may be in the offing.

A man accused in the killings of three college students and the wounding of another pleaded not guilty Friday in a crime that has outraged a city fed up with continued violence.

As is becoming the norm there is an outrage element to this story as this man is an illegal alien from Peru, and also has been charged and released on bond on three other crimes, one involving the repeated rape of a 5 year old. Each and everytime a judge allowed this "man" out on bond, which is outrageous enough, but there is more. No one in the prosector's office had made any attempt to contact immigration authorities about his illegal status, so he was free to roam the streets committing more crimes. How sad that are system is so badly broken, and now no one seems to care about the rights of anyone, except the illegals committing the crimes.

Outrage

Beware Of Spammers Using Attachments

Here is an important story for those of us who use computers and receive e-mails in connection with our business and personal lives. I just had one of the spam attachments, which I opened as it has my sister's first name as the sender (pure coincidence), I was very tired and not paying close enough attention. It opened and a trojan horse virus tried to secure itself to my computer, but I have had viruses ruin computers before, so I had spent the money and had Webroot spyware and anti-virus on my computer. It battled the virus, and I had to do a complete sweep, which took about two hours, but this one time made me feel as if the money I had spent was well worth it!

The story begins, If you think a lot of fake e-greeting cards and unexpected e-mail attachments are landing in your inbox lately, you’re right. Spammers have once again reinvented their techniques and in recent weeks have been pummeling inboxes with specially crafted messages that evade many spam filters. Their latest trick: Adobe Acrobat attachments hawking stocks and the usual body-enhancement medicines.

The crooks and spammers are everywhere and we just to remember to think before we open emails or attachments that we are not 100% sure, are legitimate. Safe computing!

Attachments

61 Stars Removed From Walk Of Fame

I just finished activating a new Windows XP on my serially damaged computer and saw this "story" of the day. It's another story of stoned celebrities in rehab. Only these are real stars.

The next post will be more serious. Thanks!

stars

Barry Bonds Hits 756*

Tonight baseball took one more step toward irrelevancy as Barry "did I use steroids" Bonds hit homerun number 756, to surpass Hank Aaron's record. Barry Bonds may have surpassed Mr. Aaron's homerun record, but isn't even in the same league, in class. Hank Aaron the consummate gentleman even congratulated this "pretender to the throne" after he hit the homerun. I for one am ashamed of baseball and will seriously consider never watching or paying attention to another baseball game as long as I live.

it is shameful for "enhanced" players to beat records and bask in glory, when the real record holders attained their records as mere mortals. I know Barry Bonds deserves the benefit of the doubt, but when all of the people that have already plead guilty, say that he used steroids, it should be apparent that something really does "smells in Denmark".+

As a kid I grew up a huge Yankees fan as I lived in Estherville, Iowa, and everyone I knew was a Minnesota Twins fan, and the New York Yankees were HATED, so obviously being the devil's advocate that I was at even that young age, chose the Yankees, and was so proud to know that even the famed artist for the Des Moines Register, Frank Miller, was a Yankees fan, and he did several of the "It's not a Real World Series without the Yankees" cartoons. I met him once at the Estherville High School, when he came to give a talk and it was a thrill to meet not only a great cartoonist/artist, but a unabashed Yankee fan. Anyway, I was angry for awhile when the upstart Hank Aaron beat my hero, Babe Ruth's record, and I had snuck a radio into school, hoping that he would not make it. But to be honest, after he beat the record he was so humble that i saw what a truly Good man he was, and my anger at having my hero knocked down, was replaced by the knowledge that a better player had broken the record. That is NOT the case with Barry Bonds. Mr. Bonds is a disgrace to baseball merely, because he chooses to not help the Commisioner and others to know what really happened in regard to the steroid issue, and for me, his silence is testimony enough! I do not believe that the 5th amendment was meant as a "get out of trouble" card, and that is how it has been twisted by "scumbag" lawyers and their clients.

Mr. Hank Aaron, and Mr. Babe Ruth were titans of America's past-time and Mr. Barry Bonds is its' ruination and end!!

The actual story says that Barry Bonds hit No. 756 to the deepest part of the ballpark Tuesday night, and hammered home the point: Like him or not, legitimate or not, he is baseball's new home run king.

steroids

Musharraf Rejects U.S. Attack

In a story I was just reading, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Tuesday that talk of U.S. military strikes against al-Qaida in Pakistan only hurts the fight against terrorism, and his troops bombarded militant hideouts in their strongest response yet to a month of anti-government attacks. Ten suspected militants were killed.

May we please have the President, Congress, and the presidential hopefuls refrain from telling our enemies any further plans that we may have for them. We have Obama, saying would attack inside Pakistan without their permission, and the President agreeing, that he would also attack if their were "actionable" intelligence, and it goes on and on. We dis' one of our few allies left in the world and telegraph to our enemies what we will and won't do.

For once will the politician's stop playing with the lives of people with their comments. Even if they are going to do something, could you just keep it to yourself, so that it might have a better than "snowballs chance in hell', of actually succeeding. Bush couldn't keep quiet on bin-Laden, and he's still running free, "if he's still alive", and then Iraq, and border security, airport security, there is not one area of the "terrorism war", that either he or his political enemies have not babbled on about, to every media outlet in the world.

My God, if we have one secret left in this country, except who Really leaked the name of Valerie PLame, if would absolutely amaze me!

Think about it folks, Obama, Bush and others are talking about attacking a sovereign nation, and not just any nation, but a "friend" in the war on terror. Perhaps there is more that Musharraf could do, but this is a leader who is fighting it out on his streets daily, with terrorist's who have tried to assassinate him several times, so we should understand his trepidation, as to how much his countrymen will allow him to do without revolting. He bombed areas today, left alone in the past, but he may need a little more time to get things done, and if we were "true" friends we would allow him that time. After all if it just success that we want we would have already gone in, and we would leave behind another country that we wrecked, because of our "intervention"!

attacks

O.J. Has 2nd Bad Week

In a story I was just reading the relatives of murder victim Ron Goldman won a court order on Tuesday seizing any money O.J. Simpson earns for lending his name and likeness to a football video game with a fictional team called the Assassins and a knife-wielding mascot.

This was the second appropriate loss for O.J. in two weeks, and a tiny bit of justice for the heinous crime he "may" have committed. I appreciate the vigor with which Mr. Goldman hs put into making O.J.'s every "day" he lives miserable and I wish Mr. Goldman continued success in his efforts.

Hurray for the good guys, who get to win once in awhile.

It there was true "justice" O.J. would be sitting in a cell for the rest of his life, but instead he walks a "free" man, while his alleged victims are mouldering in their graves. Injustice at its' most extreme.

Please read the whole story at the link, if you despise O.J. as much as I do, it will give you a little smile to know he will not gain from this crime, at least not this time. Hurray!!

Murderer

Utah Mine Caves In

I was reading a story just miniutes ago, it is 11:37 a.m. as I am writing this about the coal mine cave-in in Utah and we have another send are best wishes and prayers incidents.

It has got to be so terrifying to be in that cave if they are alive, as I had heard reports before I came to work that they have only the lights on their helmets, some water, and that is about it. They said that due to the fact that they would not know how long until a rescue, that standard procedure would be to leave the lights off as much as possible, so being 1500 feet down, and nearly four miles inside the ground, they would be in Total darkness. Now I know that this is their jobs, but just thinking of that kind of darkness makes my chest tighten.

These are incredibly brave men who do a very hazardos job to provide the coal which powers much of this country. I know "choose" to work in this type of job, but they are still deserving of a little extra appreciation for that work. Thank you to all who provide our energy resources, without which we would not have much of a country.

May the press please give the families a little breathing room, while they await word of their loved ones, instead of acting like "vultures waiting to feed on a corpse", as is usually the case in these tragedies.

There was a mention of "retreat mining" occurring when the collapse occurred, which is when they intentionally knock out the coal pillars in the cave to get the last bits of coal from the mine they are abandoning, but the story attached to the link has the owner denying that it was being done. He said the earthquake nearby caused the cave-in, so we will need for investigators to provide the cause later on.

For now we can just watch, wait, and pray, that they are found alive.


Efforts to reach six coal miners trapped more than 1,500 feet underground will take at least three days, and rescuers weren't even sure the men had survived the cave-in, one of the mine's owners said Tuesday.

mine

The Judge And The Shoe Bomber

This will be a little different post as the material was sent to me anonymously, so I am not sure who to thank for the information, perhaps they just copied it from the court records, but its message is one which should be read and remembered from time to time. They mentioned that they read my posts and have found me changing from a supporter of the troops to a bring them home advocate. My views are changing as I have come to believe that the Iraqi government does not care enough about its' own survival to stay in Baghdad and do the hard job of governing, and instead chose to take an August holiday, and it angers me that our troops are fighting and dying for them to do so!

However, the words that Judge Young spoke to Mr. Reid, the notorious "shoe bomber" struck a chord and I wanted to share them with you to contemplate!
The Judge And The Shoe Bomber

Shoe Bomber

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to

light it?
janet
Did you know his trial is over?


Did you know he was sentenced?


Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV or Radio?


Didn't think so.


Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.



Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.



Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he



had anything to say. His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for

the record, Reid also admitted his "allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and

to the religion of Allah," defiantly stating, "I think I will not apologize for

my actions," and told the court "I am at war with your country."



Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:



January 30, 2003, United States vs. Reid. Judge Young:



"Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.



On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of

the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court

sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to

run consecutively. (That's 80 years.)



On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served

consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you for each

of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million.

The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution

and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to

American Airlines.



The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment.



The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law

requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no

further.



This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and

just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.



Now, let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any of your

terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through

the fire before. There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone

with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as

individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach

out for justice.



You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in

any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a

soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do

it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier. You are

not----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do

not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt

them down one by one and bring them to justice.



So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow. But you are

not that big. You're no warrior. I've known warriors. You are a terrorist A

species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders. In a very

real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off

that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews

were, and he said: "You're no big deal."



You are no big deal.



What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have

grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with,

is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this

courtroom today?



I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search

your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what

you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing? And, I have an answer for

you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as

close to understanding as I know.



It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our

freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose,

to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually

choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it

everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom

so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can

see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and

discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so

vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their

representation of you before other judges.



We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat

you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It

is yet true that we will bare any burden; pay any price, to preserve our

freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to

long remember what you or I say here. The day after tomorrow, it will be

forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.


Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America , the American people

will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war,

individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United

States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out

evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will

gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and

refine our sense of justice.


See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America .

That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands

for freedom. And it always will.


Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.

Execution Style Killing Of Newark Students

I had heard this story on television as I was getting ready for work and spent all day trying to get my internet to work and am hoping that I can stay connected long enough to post this and provide a link to the full story at Yahoo News.

My sympathy goes out to the family of these good kids, who were just trying to have a little fun before heading to college in a few weeks. How very sad that they died this tragically!

We are very lucky to live in the relatively "safe" city such as Iowa City, as the people of Newark have killings occurring regularly according to the reports and the comments of some of its' citizen's.

In a city where gun violence has become an all too common part of daily life, these shootings were enough to chill even the most hardened residents: Four young friends shot execution-style in a schoolyard just days before they were to head to college.

murdered

Gates Disagrees With Rice On Iraqi Vacation

On the same day that Secretary of State, Condolezza Rice was on the morning talk shows telling hosts that the Iraqi government did not take an August vacation her counterpart in the Defense Department was saying the opposite.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday he was disappointed with the Iraqi government's lack of significant progress and said the nation's parliament should not have taken a summer break.

The facts are that they are on vacation, while our young men and women are still there, fighting and dying, as was shown this weekend as we lost 4 more soldiers. It is an outrage and as I wrote the other day, it is the last straw, and Bush must tell Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that his government needs to come back from vacation and get their business done, or our troops are going to go on vacation, back home in America!

I do not understand the Iraqi government thinking at a time when two Brookings Institute fellows who just got back from Iraq, have changed their views and said that "militarily" we are winning this war, through Bush's surge strategy, and yet we our going to lose because the politicians cannot get their act together. How sad that so many have died and it may end in failure, because the Iraqi politicians will not hold up their end of the deal to create a "stable" government!

My best to the troops, who are truly awesome and heroic in their efforts to protect us all in this tragic land. Thank you!!

vacation

Iowa City Arsonist?

I was just reading the news story about the fires downtown and am wondering if Iowa City has a serial arsonist at work.

Investigators continue to investigate four fires that broke out early Saturday morning on two streets in downtown Iowa City, sending one firefighter to the hospital.

Thanks to the fast reaction of our firefighting and police personnel no one was seriously injured, but residents were forced to flee and the Red Cross is providing shelter. The fire and police departments are asking for anyone with information to please contact them at 319-358-8477. Let's help them find this person or persons, before someone gets injured or killed.

Having been through a devestating house fire years ago, I know how much you lose, that cannot be replaced in an event like this.

Good luck to the authorities!


fires

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

Civil War

As we head into Sunday and the end of the weekend I would like to share a website with you that has quotes from Abraham Lincoln, who is in my opinion the Greatest President of Our country. He is Great in so many ways that it sends shivers up my spine, when I think of everything that he went through, and the tragedy that befell our country, when he was robbed of the ability to rebuild the country, after the Civil War. He tore the country apart, to rebuild her stronger than ever, and I think that if he had lived the rebuilding of this battered nation would have been even better, than it was under Johnson. Sadly that is only wishful thinking as history has a way of being unchanging.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the site and can gain from his wisdom and quotes. In the future we shall provide other major and minor figures who gave quotes that will live in our memories for all time, such as Sir Winston Churchill's famous "fight them on the beaches", quote, but that is for another day.

Take Care.

"In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to 'preserve, protect, and defend it'." Abraham Lincoln Source: March 4, 1861 - Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

quotes

Humorous News Stories

Cheney Declares Himself National Monument Latest Attempt to Dodge Subpoena

That was the headline that I was looking at when I clicked on the "humor" section all the way on the right of the Yahoo News page contents and found these "Onion" like "news" stories and thought you might get a kick out of them as well.

Award-winning humorist, television personality and film actor Andy Borowitz is author of the new book "The Republican Playbook," to be published October 2007. To find out more about Andy Borowitz and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web.To find out more about Peter McKay, please visit www.creators.com.

Humor

Obama/Tancredo Ticket

I was just reading the story of the uproar over Senator Barack Obama's statement that he would bomb northern Pakistan if he is the next President.

Pakistani officials called Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama irresponsible for saying that, if elected, he might order unilateral military strikes in Pakistan against al-Qaida.

I also read where Senator Tom Tancredo, a Republican presidential hopeful, said that we should threaten to bomb the two Holiest Islamic sites, of Mecca and Medina, if terrorists hit our country with nuclear weapons.

Hold on, I am getting the glimmer of an ideal ticket for those who want to reach across party lines and get the votes of the "bomb them now" crowd. How about an Obama/Tancredo ticket!

There just might be a very quiet majority of voters who would like to bomb all of our enemies, and it would eliminate the need for a diplomatic corps, if we use bombing as our sole negotiating tool.

But serously, how did all the talking of bombing, become the main talking point in such a short period of time, I thought Obama was all about health care, tax policies that affect everyday citzens, helping people on welfare, etc., and now he's going to bomb everyone? What do liberals think of this new Obama? And as for Tom Tancredo, I thought his one note issue was immigration, but I guess beings he won on that issue, he needed something else to talk about.

The stories just seem get more and more weird as this long campaign process rolls on.

Have a Great Weekend!!

2008

Iowa Citian Sentenced On Child Porn Charges

I was just reading the story of an Iowa City man, Matthew Marshall Powills, 44 years old, was sentenced to almost 22 years of prison for a variety of child pornography charges.

Hopefully, he will not get out again as the story indicates that he had been convicted of eight counts of a sexual abuse, and one count of criminal transmission of HIV in May, 2005, so this is one creep that should never see the light of day as a free man again.

Child

Bourne Is Best Of The Threequels?

I was just reading a review of the Bourne Ultimatum, and it says that it is the best of the series, and I think they have all been good, so this one should be quite a ride.

All along, they've been calling this the summer of threes — you know how "they" can be, putting things into tidy little boxes. And they focused mainly on the ballyhooed blockbusters that came out at the beginning of the summer: third installments in the "Spider-Man," "Shrek" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchises.

I usually do not go to movie theatres, because they are not convenient. You know if you want something or have to use the restroom, they do not stop the movie for you, and as I get older I seem to go more often. But for this film I am going to make an exception and will help move the film to the top of the heap.

I hope it makes so much money that they "have" to make a 4th and perhaps a 5th film about Jason Bourne, the amnesiac assassin, who is an interesting character. There is the usual car chases, fist fights, and spy vs. spy stuff, but it is kind of like ice cream, I do not have it that often, and when I do it is a special treat, like these types of movies.

This series has been very cool, because the movies have been just as good as the books, which is rare. I like books and have found that usually when they turn it into a film, it is usually disappointing, but the Bourne series has been great in book and film form. Thanks to Matt Damon, and the rest of the cast and crew for doing such a Great job, and taking us on a wild ride.

Anyway, have a great weekend and may you enjoy your "special" treats, whatever they may be, as well.

Best

Jefferson's FBI Raid Unconstitutional

Did anyone else see this little tidbit of interesting news about the United States Federal Appeals Court ruling against the FBI and in favor of Representative William Jefferson.

The ruling is that the FBI violated the Constitution when agents raided U.S. Rep. William Jefferson’s office last year and viewed legislative documents, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Even though the ruling is against the seizure of documents from his office the Justice Department asserts that it did not use those documents in preparing their case against Representative Jefferson on bribery charges.
It would seem that Representative Jefferson is one of our more "ethically" challenged United States Congressmen, after the FBI seized some $90,000 in cash from his home freezer. Talk about Cold Hard Cash!!

The Congressman is accused of taking bribes in regard to businesses he was hooking up with African contacts, through his Congressional office. It should be an interesting case as it makes it way through the courts. Meanwhile, he was re-elected and is still in Congress.

RAID

Jack McClellan Pedophile Blogger

I was just reading the story of Jack McClellan, a 45-year-old, self-described pedophile, who is active on Web sites intended to tip off other pedophiles to events and places where children tend to gather, The New York Times reported.

I know that we all have freedom of speech, but wouldn't his blogging activities promoting pedophilia, be considered "conspiracy to commit a crime". I am not sure and if anyone knows please set me straight, but I find that his blogging about pedophilia, to be shameful, and should be a crime.

Congratulations to the people of Washington state for running him out. Perhaps, his neighbors in Los Angeles can afford him another kick to the curb.

If I find anymore information out about "Mr." McClellan's activities I shall post an update.

pedophile

Time To Leave Iraq

The news out of Iraq is the proverbial "straw that breaks the camels back" for me in my support for our troops remaining in Iraq. The Iraqi government has decided to take a month's vacation in August, instead of trying to meet the benchmarks that the Bush administration has set for them to meet by September.

This announcement came on a day when three more American soldiers were killed, "protecting" this fledgling "democracy". It shows me that these people do not care enough about whether or not their government survives to stay in session and get this stuff done, so we need to leave and let them fight it out among themselves, as too many troops have died to be disrespected in this cavalier fashion.

I used quite a bit of profanity when I first heard the news about the "vacation", but now I have calmed down enough to just write this little post and say how sorry that so many of our young men and women have died for this pathetic Iraqi government. We need to withdraw immediately. We should send every available jet, plane, and ship and leave within the week and to hell with the Iraqi's.
If they had chosen to stay in session and get their country in order I would have continued my support, but I think that their actions warrant a complete withdrawal, so that no more troops die for their "democracy".
Time

Update On The Last Supper

I just received a comment on one of my blog sites that is from a Derek Bair, and he says that he has written extensively about The Last Supper, that I wrote about the other day, and the link shows the images if you wish to see them.

Mr. Bair's website that shows the Last Supper, and has more information about Da Vinci and the supposed "hidden" images and their meanings.

last


supper

Hearings On Cpl. Tillman's Death

I was just reading a story about the hearings that are being held today by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee concerning the death of Corporal Pat Tillman. He is spotlighted, because he gave up a huge contract with the Arizona Cardinals after 9/11 and entered the United States Army to protect his country. His death at the hands of his fellow Rangers was concealed for 5 weeks, and everyone just assumed that he was killed by the enemy and that he was a heroic symbol. It is this focus on his death that has Washington in an uproar over when the White House knew the truth of his death, and if there was a cover-up by anyone in the Department of Defense or in the White House.

I think no matter the manner of his death, Corporal Pat Tillman is a heroic figure. In all wars the is often chaos and fellow soldiers kill each other by accident, it is inevitable, but the least that should be done is that when the truth is known, and it looks like they knew rather quickly, at least the family should be told. The Tillman's still do know the full truth of their son's death and that is not accetable. Anyone who has any knowledge of the Truth should willing come forward and tell it in the open, it does not make Cpl. Tillman any less heroic, just another tragic loss in a very real war.

Today Ex-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other top former Pentagon brass denied any cover-up and rejected personal responsibility Wednesday for the military's bungled response to Army Ranger Pat Tillman's friendly-fire death in Afghanistan.

Death