Thursday, May 05, 2005
WorldNetDaily: David Hackworth dies of cancer, 74
WorldNetDaily: David Hackworth dies of cancer, 74: " WND David Hackworth RIP,
dies of cancer, 74
WND columnist, most decorated
Vietnam vet, advocate for soldiers"
dies of cancer, 74
WND columnist, most decorated
Vietnam vet, advocate for soldiers"
Lex Communis
Lex Communis: "The most important battle in American history.
CINCO De MAYO!!!
On May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla, a rag-tag, outnumbered, ill-equipped band of Mexican irregulars defeated the cream of the French army, which under Napoleon III was considered to be the best in the world.
In 1862, things were not going well for President Lincoln. The bloodiest day of fighting at Shiloh inApril 1862, had discredited Ulysses Grant; the Pennisular Campaign was stalemated. The immediate future held Lee assuming command of the Army of Northern Virginia and Second Bull Run.
1862 could have seen French and British interest in intervention in the Civil War. The British would have benefitted from the elimination of the American blockade and the return of the cotton trade. The French.. well, the French are the French, and they would have seen the security of their Mexican holdings benefited from a weaker Northern neighbor.
In 1862, the French and the British could have intervened by recognizing the sovereignity of the Confederate States of America and by putting diplomatic pressure on the United States of America to negotiate a peace. That was certainly the strategy that the CSA was counting on. The shape of such an alternative future is at once oddly familiarand alien. Harry Turtledove - the Dean of Alternative History Science Fiction - has played with that scenario in a series of books that eventually pit a USA/German alliance against a CSA/British/French entente in a different version of World War I.
But it never happened, and the reason it didn't happen was because 4,000 Mexican irregulars defeated the cream of the best army of Europe, which dampened the interest of Europe in becoming involved in other North American interventions.
Viva Cinco de Mayo!
Peter Sean Bradley 11:36 AM"
CINCO De MAYO!!!
On May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla, a rag-tag, outnumbered, ill-equipped band of Mexican irregulars defeated the cream of the French army, which under Napoleon III was considered to be the best in the world.
In 1862, things were not going well for President Lincoln. The bloodiest day of fighting at Shiloh inApril 1862, had discredited Ulysses Grant; the Pennisular Campaign was stalemated. The immediate future held Lee assuming command of the Army of Northern Virginia and Second Bull Run.
1862 could have seen French and British interest in intervention in the Civil War. The British would have benefitted from the elimination of the American blockade and the return of the cotton trade. The French.. well, the French are the French, and they would have seen the security of their Mexican holdings benefited from a weaker Northern neighbor.
In 1862, the French and the British could have intervened by recognizing the sovereignity of the Confederate States of America and by putting diplomatic pressure on the United States of America to negotiate a peace. That was certainly the strategy that the CSA was counting on. The shape of such an alternative future is at once oddly familiarand alien. Harry Turtledove - the Dean of Alternative History Science Fiction - has played with that scenario in a series of books that eventually pit a USA/German alliance against a CSA/British/French entente in a different version of World War I.
But it never happened, and the reason it didn't happen was because 4,000 Mexican irregulars defeated the cream of the best army of Europe, which dampened the interest of Europe in becoming involved in other North American interventions.
Viva Cinco de Mayo!
Peter Sean Bradley 11:36 AM"
Gut Rumbles: if you could read my mind
Gut Rumbles: if you could read my mind: "If you could read my mind
CHECK OUT THIS DREAM!
I would break this machine. Hook ME up to it and I would manage to short-circuit every program it had. I can't even read my OWN mind.
I dream vividly and tumoultously. My subconscious mind is a playful creature and it likes to be turned loose to run free at night. Last night, I dreamed that dimes were falling from the sky and I was finding them everywhere I looked. I kept picking up dimes and sticking them in my pockets until my clothes were bulging. I kept finding more dimes.
I woke up nekkid in bed and realized that I didn't have a small fortune stuffed into my pockets. I didn't even have any pockets.
Why the hell did I dream about THAT? Why dimes? Why not $20 bills? Why not $100 bills? If I'm going to dream about gathering riches for free, my subconscious mind should aim a little higher than a tall stack of dimes.
But that's the kind of stuff my brain does at night."
CHECK OUT THIS DREAM!
I would break this machine. Hook ME up to it and I would manage to short-circuit every program it had. I can't even read my OWN mind.
I dream vividly and tumoultously. My subconscious mind is a playful creature and it likes to be turned loose to run free at night. Last night, I dreamed that dimes were falling from the sky and I was finding them everywhere I looked. I kept picking up dimes and sticking them in my pockets until my clothes were bulging. I kept finding more dimes.
I woke up nekkid in bed and realized that I didn't have a small fortune stuffed into my pockets. I didn't even have any pockets.
Why the hell did I dream about THAT? Why dimes? Why not $20 bills? Why not $100 bills? If I'm going to dream about gathering riches for free, my subconscious mind should aim a little higher than a tall stack of dimes.
But that's the kind of stuff my brain does at night."
Ace of Spades HQ
Ace of Spades HQ: "Annan Oil-For-Food Docs Handed Over to Congress
... by a man who is most definitely slicin' like an f'n' hammer, FBI agent Robert Parton.
Documents involving actions taken by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the Oil-for-Food investigation were handed over to Congress on Wednesday night, FOX News has learned.
The documents were given to federal lawmakers by Robert Parton, a former senior investigator on the Independent Inquiry Committee probing the $64 billion program.
Parton and Miranda Duncan (search), who both resigned from the panel last month in protest, have accused the IIC of downplaying Annan's role in the Oil-for-Food corruption scandal in an interim report released by the panel last March.
The documents were handed over after Parton was issued a subpoena by the House International Relations Committee on Friday night. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, earlier was preparing subpoenas to force Parton and Duncan to testify. It was expected that those subpoenas could be issued as early as Thursday.
Congress has been trying to talk to Parton ever since his resignation two weeks ago. Last week, IIC head Paul Volcker tried to block such efforts by insisting that Parton and Duncan, both Americans, had diplomatic immunity.
And to trot out the same joke again: His claim of 'diplomatic immunity' seems to be doing him as much good as it did Joss Ackland at the end of Lethal Weapon 2.
Chris Shays, who, you know, is just about the biggest pussy in the f'n' world, whines that Parton's cooperation with Congress will undermine amity between the blah blah blah blah blah.
Who gives a shit what Chris Shays thinks?
The best part:
Parton's attorney then wrote to the United Nations and to Volcker asking if they would instruct Parton to defy a Congressional subpoena.
When both the United Nations and the Volcker committee refused to answer, Parton took action and, on Wednesday night, handed over the boxes of documents to a congressional committee.
Hee, hee. 'Put it in print that you want me to defy a Congressional subpoena in order to further a cover-up of the greatest dollar-amount swindle in human history. Put that in print, sign it, and send it to me. And then I'll think about it.'
Robert Parton is on f'n' fire. Damn, I wish I had a Top Ten in me.
Thanks to Andy the Squirrel.
Obligatory Pat O'Brien Reference Update: Andy the Squirrel also offers:
'I don't normally do this. I don't know what's wrong with me. But. I. Want. to go CRAZY. With your oil. Let's do it. Let's get some barrels, let's get some money. But you gotta pay attention to Kojo. Kojo gets very jealous. If you're down with this, just wink.'"
... by a man who is most definitely slicin' like an f'n' hammer, FBI agent Robert Parton.
Documents involving actions taken by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the Oil-for-Food investigation were handed over to Congress on Wednesday night, FOX News has learned.
The documents were given to federal lawmakers by Robert Parton, a former senior investigator on the Independent Inquiry Committee probing the $64 billion program.
Parton and Miranda Duncan (search), who both resigned from the panel last month in protest, have accused the IIC of downplaying Annan's role in the Oil-for-Food corruption scandal in an interim report released by the panel last March.
The documents were handed over after Parton was issued a subpoena by the House International Relations Committee on Friday night. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, earlier was preparing subpoenas to force Parton and Duncan to testify. It was expected that those subpoenas could be issued as early as Thursday.
Congress has been trying to talk to Parton ever since his resignation two weeks ago. Last week, IIC head Paul Volcker tried to block such efforts by insisting that Parton and Duncan, both Americans, had diplomatic immunity.
And to trot out the same joke again: His claim of 'diplomatic immunity' seems to be doing him as much good as it did Joss Ackland at the end of Lethal Weapon 2.
Chris Shays, who, you know, is just about the biggest pussy in the f'n' world, whines that Parton's cooperation with Congress will undermine amity between the blah blah blah blah blah.
Who gives a shit what Chris Shays thinks?
The best part:
Parton's attorney then wrote to the United Nations and to Volcker asking if they would instruct Parton to defy a Congressional subpoena.
When both the United Nations and the Volcker committee refused to answer, Parton took action and, on Wednesday night, handed over the boxes of documents to a congressional committee.
Hee, hee. 'Put it in print that you want me to defy a Congressional subpoena in order to further a cover-up of the greatest dollar-amount swindle in human history. Put that in print, sign it, and send it to me. And then I'll think about it.'
Robert Parton is on f'n' fire. Damn, I wish I had a Top Ten in me.
Thanks to Andy the Squirrel.
Obligatory Pat O'Brien Reference Update: Andy the Squirrel also offers:
'I don't normally do this. I don't know what's wrong with me. But. I. Want. to go CRAZY. With your oil. Let's do it. Let's get some barrels, let's get some money. But you gotta pay attention to Kojo. Kojo gets very jealous. If you're down with this, just wink.'"
Power Line: "The Felon Swing Vote"
Power Line: "The Felon Swing Vote": "May 05, 2005
'The Felon Swing Vote'
Michelle Malkin has pulled together what we now know about illegal voting by felons in Washington state, which the Democrats have now admitted. Her conclusion:
Even if only 544 felons voted in Washington State last fall and that 85 percent of them voted for Gregoire, the felons changed a 252-vote Rossi victory into a 129-vote Gregoire victory.
That understates the impact of the felon vote because it's limited to the 544 felon voters that Democrats have identified in Rossi-leaning districts. Republicans have documented hundreds more felon voters in Gregoire-leaning districts. Based on the Florida numbers, it's reasonable to assume that a majority of felons in all districts, both Rossi-leaning and Gregoire-leaning, voted for Gregoire.
Bottom line: if felons had been prohibited from voting last fall, as the law requires, Rossi almost certainly would be governor today.
Voter fraud is like illegal immigration--an issue that the vast majority of Americans feel strongly about, but which neither political party wants to push. It's easy to see why the Democrats won't touch either issue; what's not so clear is why the Republicans won't."
'The Felon Swing Vote'
Michelle Malkin has pulled together what we now know about illegal voting by felons in Washington state, which the Democrats have now admitted. Her conclusion:
Even if only 544 felons voted in Washington State last fall and that 85 percent of them voted for Gregoire, the felons changed a 252-vote Rossi victory into a 129-vote Gregoire victory.
That understates the impact of the felon vote because it's limited to the 544 felon voters that Democrats have identified in Rossi-leaning districts. Republicans have documented hundreds more felon voters in Gregoire-leaning districts. Based on the Florida numbers, it's reasonable to assume that a majority of felons in all districts, both Rossi-leaning and Gregoire-leaning, voted for Gregoire.
Bottom line: if felons had been prohibited from voting last fall, as the law requires, Rossi almost certainly would be governor today.
Voter fraud is like illegal immigration--an issue that the vast majority of Americans feel strongly about, but which neither political party wants to push. It's easy to see why the Democrats won't touch either issue; what's not so clear is why the Republicans won't."
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
BostonHerald.com - National Politics: Kerry's expenses: That's the tickets
BostonHerald.com - National Politics: Kerry's expenses: That's the tickets: "WASHINGTON - Sen. John F. Kerry tapped campaign funds for Red Sox tickets and to pay nearly $300 in overdue Boston parking tickets in March, records show.
Kerry's Senate campaign committee wrote a $287 check to the City of Boston Parking Clerk on March 31, 2005. The Bay State senator listed ``travel expense'' as the purpose for the expenditure. "
Kerry's Senate campaign committee wrote a $287 check to the City of Boston Parking Clerk on March 31, 2005. The Bay State senator listed ``travel expense'' as the purpose for the expenditure. "
Everything I Know Is Wrong: 2005 Index of Leading Environmental Indicators
Everything I Know Is Wrong: 2005 Index of Leading Environmental Indicators: Interesting quote: "compared Lomborg to Hitler, he ran afoul of what is known in the Internet blogosphere as “Godwin’s Law,” which holds that resorting to reductio ad Hitlerum is a sure sign that someone is losing an argument."
Are Higher Prices a Blessing? - Mises Institute
Are Higher Prices a Blessing? - Mises Institute: "Consider the long journey that a litre of gas makes from faraway oil fields to your local filling station. Oil deposits must first be found — often on the other side of the world or on the bottom of the ocean.
After massive infrastructure is developed, oil is extracted, transported across the globe, refined, and trucked thousands of kilometres to where you live. Let's not forget the massive military expenditures from countries like the U.S. to secure foreign oil supplies and the political and human turmoil that this creates. Considering all that, why then should gas cost about half as much as bottled water?"
After massive infrastructure is developed, oil is extracted, transported across the globe, refined, and trucked thousands of kilometres to where you live. Let's not forget the massive military expenditures from countries like the U.S. to secure foreign oil supplies and the political and human turmoil that this creates. Considering all that, why then should gas cost about half as much as bottled water?"
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Phraselator
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Phraselator: "Phraselator
The Means of Expression - Media, Creativity and Experience
ban_cartoon.gif
You've seen text-based pocket translators. You may have even seen speech-to-speech pocket translators. But what if you're somewhere the popular European / North-Asian languages aren't spoken, and saying things other than 'where's the museum'? What if, for instance, you're doing tsunami-relief in Sri Lanka? Or helping Somalian refugees?
Phraselator is what you need, then. Like other speech-to-speech translators,the user can either speak a phrase in English or select it from various conceptually-grouped lists, and the PDA-size device will then speak the equivalent phrase in the selected language. Available languages and phrases are stored on compact flash cards, which can be swapped out for different ones tailored for various situations. The device was originally developed for military field hospitals where doctors also care for wounded locals, but it has since been expanded with modules like 'basic aircrew', 'basic Somali survival', 'disaster relief', and 'basic military interview' (i.e. interrogation), 'traffic law enforcement', and many others. Better yet, they can also provide you the tools to make your own translation modules. The device is also a good deal more rugged than the sort of thing you'd take vacationing in France.
Though the Phraselators you can buy now only offer one-way translation, a two-way translator is already being prototyped and field-tested. Military.com has a good article on the device, and how it has been used by American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. It looks like the product's development is headed more towards military and law-eforcement action rather than civilian relief action, but time will tell.
Posted by Jeremy Faludi at May 3, 2005 03:04 PM | TrackBack "
The Means of Expression - Media, Creativity and Experience
ban_cartoon.gif
You've seen text-based pocket translators. You may have even seen speech-to-speech pocket translators. But what if you're somewhere the popular European / North-Asian languages aren't spoken, and saying things other than 'where's the museum'? What if, for instance, you're doing tsunami-relief in Sri Lanka? Or helping Somalian refugees?
Phraselator is what you need, then. Like other speech-to-speech translators,the user can either speak a phrase in English or select it from various conceptually-grouped lists, and the PDA-size device will then speak the equivalent phrase in the selected language. Available languages and phrases are stored on compact flash cards, which can be swapped out for different ones tailored for various situations. The device was originally developed for military field hospitals where doctors also care for wounded locals, but it has since been expanded with modules like 'basic aircrew', 'basic Somali survival', 'disaster relief', and 'basic military interview' (i.e. interrogation), 'traffic law enforcement', and many others. Better yet, they can also provide you the tools to make your own translation modules. The device is also a good deal more rugged than the sort of thing you'd take vacationing in France.
Though the Phraselators you can buy now only offer one-way translation, a two-way translator is already being prototyped and field-tested. Military.com has a good article on the device, and how it has been used by American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. It looks like the product's development is headed more towards military and law-eforcement action rather than civilian relief action, but time will tell.
Posted by Jeremy Faludi at May 3, 2005 03:04 PM | TrackBack "
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
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