I'm Spartacus

Once again, the rabid wombats of the mouth-breathin', Bible-thumpin', hooker-humpin', rifle-rack-in-the-pickmup neocon wingnuts idjit crowd have tried to silence any voice raised against them.

Once again, they have succeeded... but only temporarily. And in this temporary success, they may have lost the greater battle.

As Marcotte (I think) pointed out, she no longer has to abide by the civil discourse rules of a campaign organization.

This whole thing was apparently started by Driftglass - sort of a "one for all, all for one" deal to show the fascists of the right that if they screw with ONE blogger, they screw with ALL bloggers.

Judge Gilman v. Reality

Judge Ronald Lee Gilman, of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, is a man in the mold of george w. bush: completely disconnected from those of us in the "reality-based community."

Earlier today, I was reading a decision from the Court, regarding a sexual harassment case. It seems that an assistant manager for a Flying J travel plaza was hit on by his manager. He rebuffed her approach, and was fired/rehired/suspended for two weeks/suspended for one week/suspended until he could move to another Flying J 120 miles away. He sued, claiming that the transfer to a location 120 miles from his home was an "adverse employment action."

The guy could not simply pack up and move to the new town, as his wife had a debilitating back injury, according to the Court, so I'm guessing she needed to stay relatively close to the Cincinati, OH, medical centers.

The Court ruled for the plaintiff (the assistant manager), but in his dissent, Judge Gilman posed an interesting question:

If a 20-minute increase in daily commute time, an extra 100 miles of driving on 12 additional days per month, and a 60-mile increase in a daily commute are not “objectively intolerable” changes in the terms and conditions of employment, what makes the 120-mile transfer in the present case an adverse employment action?

Let's see if we can help the judge out, shall we?

120 miles is roughly the distance from the Court's location in Covington, Kentucky, to Muncie, Indiana.

120 miles to and from is an extra 240 miles per day, roughly from Covington to Ypsilanti, Michigan.

240 miles per day times five days is an extra 1,200 miles per week (Covington to Millinocket, Maine). I'm assuming the guy works five days a week.

1,200 miles per week times 50 weeks (assuming a two-week vacation) is an extra 60,000 miles... twenty times the distance from Boston, MA to San Diego, CA.

Bear in mind this is ADDITIONAL driving for the guy. If his car gets 20 miles per gallon (and a lot of convenience store assistant managers cannot afford a car that gets that kind of mileage), that's an additional 3,000 gallons of gasoline per year. At $2.25 per gallon (which is what we're paying in the Detroit metro area), that's an additional $6750.00 per year -- you heard me, SIX THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS PER YEAR -- just for gas (never mind the wear and tear on his car).

At a speed of 60 MPH, 120 miles is an extra 2 hours on his daily commute. Each way. At 70 MPH, it's an extra one hour forty minutes. Each way.

If the guy works 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, he has to leave his house at 5:00 AM, get to work at 7:00, leave work at 3:00, and get home at 5:00. If he's like me, he has to get up an hour before he leaves for work (shower, shave, dress, make coffee, find keys, etc.), so he gets up at 4:00 AM. To get the recommended eight hours sleep (getting up at 4:00), he has to be in bed by 8:00 PM... leaving him a munificent three hours with his wife (the one with the bad back, remember?).

Each week, he gets to spend an extra 16 hours, forty minutes in the car... when he could be taking care of his wife's bad back.

Each year, he spends an extra 833 hours in the car... an extra five full weeks (at 168 hours per week)... when he could be taking care of his wife.

Yeah, I would say costing this poor guy $6750 per year (just in gas, mind you), and 833 hours of commuting time, would constitute an "adverse employment action."

Wouldn't you?

Notable Quotes

The other night, I decided against being a productive member of society, so I parked it and watch a few re-runs of "Law and Order."

As a born and bred New Yorker, I can understand and appreciate the quaint phrases New Yorkers use to show respect and admiration for each other. In the first episode, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) are dealing with a pompous wannabe novelist with a bad attitude. At one point, Green refers to the "novelist" as "F. Scott Fitz-stupid."

I almost fell off the sofa.

In the second episode, D.A. Branch (former US Senator Fred D. Thompson [far right-wing R, TN]) is complaining about "five Supreme Court justices subverting the will of the populace," by doing something relatively liberal. I, of course, was screaming at the set, "What about when five justices subverted the will of the populace by annointing george bush preznit, you stupid, frickin' MO-ron?!?"

The lovely yet talented Mrs 618 has blocked "Law and Order."

This morning, WOMC radio host (and Radio Hall of Famer) Dick Purtan -- who was the Detroit DJ in "Beverly Hills Cop II" -- was discussing "pimply-faced" 'N Sync perpetrator, alleged actor/singer and definite oxygen thief Justin Timberlake. Purtin said, "He looks like Chris Hansen* should walk into his kitchen."

Unfortunately, I was driving at the time. I almost parked in the ditch.

* For those who may not be as glued to the tube as Mrs 618 and I, Hansen hosts MSNBC Dateline's "To Catch A Predator," confronting and apprehending on-line pedophiles. If you have children at home, you owe it to yourself to watch this series.

"The Decider" Rides Again... Sort Of...

I heard a radio commercial the other day for Equal (the sweetener). It features some woman putting Equal into only the coffees that are "worthy" of such extravagant treatment. The guy says something to the effect of, "You make that determination?"

She says, sweetly*, "I'm the decider."

*No, the pun was not intended. As someone else (maybe Drum) said the other day, I groaned as I typed it.

Broder LIES

And this is new... exactly how?

Via Atrios, Oliver Willis on David Broder: [original emphasis]

David Broder Libels Democrats

David Broder, the most insider of Washington insiders, perpetuates a lie and smears the Democratic party in "reporting" on this past weekend's meeting of the DNC.

One of the losers in the weekend oratorical marathon was retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who repeatedly invoked the West Point motto of "Duty, Honor, Country," forgetting that few in this particular audience have much experience with, or sympathy for, the military.

That's just a boldfaced lie by Broder, no two ways about it. I happened to be in attendance at the speech in question, just a stone's throw away from General Clark when he gave it. What David Broder is saying here is an absolute lie. The crowd in attendance stood on their feet, clapped their hands loudly and strongly time and time again when speakers - including Gen. Clark - invoked the service and sacrifice of America's fighting men and women.

In fact, in the very speech Broder cites as his reasoning for Democrats not supporting the military, Gen. Clark asked for a moment of silence (see the video here) to reflect on the sacrifices being made by the troops currently serving. The auditorium was silent, and many bowed their heads in prayer.

David Broder is a filthy liar, and the Washington Post ought to correct the slander he's published in their pages. For too long the Republican party and the conservative movement has smeared Democrats and liberals as not supportive of the troops, when time and time again it is the right who does not look out for their interests as Democrats and liberals time and time again fight for good foreign policy, veterans benefits, and the basics of body armor for our troops.

Again I say, David Broder is lying.

MORE: David Broder is, like much of the media establishment, no stranger to deception.

I don’t know why Willis is surprised that Broder is lying about this. After all, the Republicans, their sycophantic media lapdos, and the mouth-breathin’, Bible-thumpin’, hooker-humpin’, sister-marryin’, rifle-rack-in-the-pickmup neocon wingnut idjits have brought lying into mainstream political discourse.

Can anyone think of anything the Rethuglicans have claimed in six years that wasn’t a lie? Iraq? The economy? Global warming? Evolution? “Culture of Life”?



Of course, the Republicans have served honorably in the armed forces.

Haven’t they?

MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS

DEMOCRATS:

• Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
• David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
• Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
• Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.
• Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g . Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.
• Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
• John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, Purple Hearts.
• Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
• Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam. Paraplegic from war injuries. Served in Congress.
• Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53.
• Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
• Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
• Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
• Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars,and Soldier's Medal.
• Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.
• Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.
• Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.
• Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
• Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
• Chuck Robb: Vietnam
• Howell Heflin: Silver Star
• George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.
• Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received #311.
• Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.
• Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
• John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and AirMedal with 18 Clusters.
• Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.

REPUBLICANS (and these are the guys sending people to war):

• Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
• Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
• Tom Delay: did not serve.
• Roy Blunt: did not serve.
• Bill Frist: did not serve.
• Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
• Rick Santorum: did not serve.
• Trent Lott: did not serve.
• John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
• Jeb Bush: did not serve.
• Karl Rove: did not serve.
• Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.
• Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.
• Vin Weber: did not serve.
• Richard Perle: did not serve.
• Douglas Feith: did not serve.
• Eliot Abrams: did not serve.
• Richard Shelby: did not serve.
• Jon Kyl: did not serve.
• Tim Hutchison: did not serve.
• Christopher Cox: did not serve.
• Newt Gingrich: did not serve.
• Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.
• george w. bush: failed to complete his six-year National Guard; got assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate.
• Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non- combat role making movies.
• Bob Dornan: Consciously enlisted after fighting was over in Korea.
• Phil Gramm: did not serve.
• John McCain: Vietnam POW, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.
• Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.
• John M. McHugh: did not serve.
• JC Watts: did not serve.
• Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem, " although continued in NFL for 8 years as quarterback.
• Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard.
• Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
• George Pataki: did not serve.
• Spencer Abraham: did not serve.
• John Engler: did not serve.
• Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base.

PUNDITS and PREACHERS:

• Sean Hannity: did not serve.
• Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')*
• Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
• Michael Savage: did not serve.
• George Will: did not serve.
• Chris Matthews: did not serve.
• Paul Gigot: did not serve.
• Bill Bennett: did not serve.
• Pat Buchanan: did not serve.
• John Wayne: did not serve.
• Bill Kristol: did not serve.
• Kenneth Starr: did not serve.
• Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
• Clarence Thomas: did not serve.
• Ralph Reed: did not serve.
• Michael Medved: did not serve.
• Charlie Daniels: did not serve.
• Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things that don't shoot back.)

* Although, to be fair to Lush Bimbo -- not that he knows squat about fairness -- I too have a pilonidal cyst, and I can tell you it isn't fun. It's a great big painful cyst at the base of the spine (which sounds less disgusting than 'at the top of your ass') that gets inflamed on a regular basis, ruptures, bleeds and oozes pus, and makes it almost excrutiatingly painful to put any pressure on the butt... say, in sitting, lying down, or even bending over.

Molly Ivins Has Passed Away

Her voice will be sorely missed. Her sense of humor, coupled with her disgust at the shenanigans of george w. bush, brightened many a day for me. Just yesterday, I finished my umpteenth re-reading of both "Shrub" and "Bushwhacked."

And of course, I'd be willing to bet either the White House will remain completely mum, or smirkmonkey will make some "charming" little "funny-ha-ha."

Rest in Peace, Molly.

Playing Catch Up...

No, not "ketchup", ya bone-heads...

Anyway, miscellaneous news, notes, and comments, gathered from the furthest reaches of the Internets, the "tubes", and the Googles...

I. Return of "The Decider"

george w. bush has apparently opted to reprise his boffo performance as "The Decider". Declaring himself "the decision-maker" on Friday, he challenged doubters of his "practicing escalatio" (as Tom Lehrer put it once) on the Iraqis to come up with their own ideas to win the war. Two small problems with that, though: (1) the war isn't winnable by any reasonably acceptable means (yeah, we could nuke Iraq and declare victory, but that wouldn't go over so well, would it?), and (2) bush would just ignore whatever plans were submitted. Citing the little voices in his head, bush claimed, "I've picked the plan that I think it most likely to succeed." No mention of how this surge is going to work any better than the previous surges, except that he apparently has decided that this one just plain really has to work, because he decided it would.

II. Two Sentenced in Fatal Fire at Seton Hall

Two idiots who started a fire in a Seton Hall University dorm lounge -- a fire that killed three students -- were sentenced to five years each.

"I want you to know I am very, very sorry for your losses," Sean "Biff" Ryan said. "I hope you can move on."

Why do I get the feeling that Biff was thinking to himself, "You'd better move on, cause I sure as hell have"?

Ryan and his playmate Joseph LePore pleaded guilty to arson and witness tampering.

Their lawyers claimed the insanely-reduced sentences were "appropriate" because the school did not have "adequate systems to keep the blaze from spreading."

To summarize:

• The dormitory, built in 1952, met the fire codes as they existed at the time of construction (sprinklers were not required)
• Seton hall did not retrofit the building with sprinklers (probably due to the cost, and engineering concerns)
• LePore and Ryan start a fire in an occupied college dormitory
• Three people die, NOT because these two assholes played with fire, but because the university couldn't foresee that these two assholes would play with fire.

In other words:

"It's not my fault!"

III. Update From the war on Terra

A leading Olympic security expert believes it is "just a matter of time" before terrorists target a major sports event like the Olympics.

Hello? Munich? 1972?

IV. Crocodile Hunter, meet the Nigerian 419 Scam

There's an email circulating through the tubes that claims to be from Terri Irwin, widow of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. The message claims a US bank has $11 million in family funds, and that "the bank is planning to use the money for nuclear weapons." For helping her get the money out of the US, "Terri" will give you 40% of the money.

Yeah, right.

Who would be stooo-pid enough to fall for that?

Uh-oh....

Book Review: Keeping Cool on the Hot Seat

Since it is apparently illegal, or at least immoral and/or fattening, to review a book without awarding it a certain number of stars, I give this one:

*****

five out of five

You may have noticed the link to "Judy Hoffman: Crisis Communications" in the left sidebar. I was first introduced to Judy through a guest column she did for Jonathan Bernstein's Crisis Manager newsletter (which is also linked over there). Judy is a media training consultant, and spent 16 years in the chemical industry as a media relations specialist. She also has a newsletter, Keeping Cool, which should be mandatory reading for everyone.

Judy's book, Keeping Cool on the Hot Seat, should also be required. It covers how, when, and what to communicate to the media during a crisis. In a superbly-written volume, Judy describes how Lee Iacocca and Rudy Giuliani handled crises that might well have had calamitous consequences, had both men not been such gifted communicators. Of course, there are dozens of other examples too, but these are the ones where you'll recognize the players.

As is the case with almost every volume I've ever seen on crisis management, Judy points out that the Chinese character for "crisis" -- wei ji -- is a combination of the characters for "danger" and "opportunity." While some may argue the point, there is no denying that a "crisis" does, indeed, have elements of both danger and opportunity.

Looking at the dictionary definition of "crisis" -- "a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, esp. for better or for worse, is determined; turning point" -- we see that the situation can get better or worse. In the business world, one of the critical factors in deciding which way the crisis will go is how it is communicated to the affected stakeholders.

For examples of how effective communications can reduce the impact of a crisis, Judy cites the 1987 case in which Chrysler was implicated in selling pre-driven vehicles as new cars: Lee Iacocca accepted responsibility, made amends and rectified the situation to the satisfaction of the consumers affected. She also discusses how Rudy Giuliani (1), faced with the incredible carnage of 9-11, used effective communication skills (among other skills, of course) to reassure a shattered city and a shell-shocked nation.

Ineffective communications can vastly increase the impact of a crisis: Judy cites the Firestone/Bridgestone/Ford tire fiasco as a prime example of piss-poor communicating. The poor skills showed by the owners and operators of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant did absolutely nothing to reassure those potentially affected by the TMI disaster. One could also argue that, had the administration been more open in its communications regarding the "war on terror," "signing statements," and the like, the bush administration might not have such abysmal approval ratings.

Judy continually drives home the concept that there must be a crisis communications plan in place before you need it, and it must be practiced.

Judy also presents a concept she calls "The Ten "C's" of Good Crisis Communications." This list, all by itself, is worth the complete purchase price of the book.

"But Mr 618, I don't expect to ever have to communicate with the media in a crisis," I hear you say. Okay, maybe you're not the CEO of your company. Maybe you're not the senior elected official in your community.

But when Little Johnny smacks a line drive through the Widow Jones' plate glass window, do you think that would be a crisis? Especially if the Widow Jones isn't the nicest, coziest, neighborhood granny you wish she were? And while the Widow Jones may not be the New York Times, the points Judy makes in her book can save your bacon there too.

If you think you may ever have to deal with a crisis -- whether at work or at home -- stop by her website, read what she has posted there, and sign up for her free newsletter. I can guarantee you won't regret it.




The book is available through her website, and also through Amazon.

(1) If you haven't done so, you should also read Giuliani's book Leadership.

BadTux 4 Preznit!

My good friend, the gentlebird from Kah-lee-forn-yah, has announced the formation of an exploratory committee to investigate becoming the preznidential candidate of the Birthday Party.

BadTux originally thought about enlisting Opus as his running mate; I, however, thought that would overload the ticket toward the penguin constituency, and suggested he ask Bill the Cat instead. Yes, I am taking credit for the recommendation, despite what the gentlebird says about his campaign advisors talking him into it.

One of the many things we'd never have to worry about (image swiped from Atrios' "The bestest most funniest blog post ever"):

Would that be this turkey?

I urge you all to welcome...

The Next Preznit of the United States.

An Open Letter to DTE Energy and An Apology

I apologize for the light posting the last few days. In addition to the problems laid out previously, the spacious yet luxurious Chez 618 -- like many thousands of others -- lost power as a result of the Sunday ice storms. In fact, we lost power at 5:15 AM Monday, while yr obt svt was standing in the shower (helluva place to be with no lights!). "Mr. Preparedness", of course, did not have a flashlight in the bathroom. He does now.

Now, like most other people (virtually everyone I know, in fact), I bitch and moan mightily when I get my monthly power bill, and I tend to begrudge DTE every penny I have to send them.

But, as is always the case when the sh*t hits the fan, DTE (and the other utilities, of course) were right there in the thick of it, replacing lines before the storm abated, working 24 hours a day, calling in out-of-state and private crews, the whole nine yards.

The most common estimate I heard for power restoration was either very late Wednesday, or early Thursday.

Nope, the power was back on Tuesday evening, and had been on for a while: the sump pump had drained the basement and the house was once again warm.

So, to the folks at DTE, ATT/SBC/Ameritech/whatever it is this week, and all the rest of the hard-working utility crews:

THANK YOU.

The Passing of Another Giant

Political satirist Art Buchwald -- one of the funniest and most gifted writers this country has ever produced -- is dead. Buchwald died yesterday at the age of 81.

Buchwald had refused dialysis treatments for his failing kidneys a year ago and was expected to die within weeks of moving to a hospice on Feb. 7, where he held court as a parade of luminaries and friends came by to say farewell. But he lived to return home and even write a book about his experiences.

One of my favorite Buchwald lines, from an article about a series of prostitution raids in DC, where the brothels were calling themselves "massage parlors":

"Is there anyplace I can get a massage without getting laid?"

Rest well, old friend.

SCHTICKS OF ONE...

... A HALF-DOZEN OF THE OTHER[1]


MEMORABLE LINE OF THE DAY: “Butyl acetate is commonly used as a solvent or as a synthetic fruit flavoring.” (From an AP article about a train derailment in Kentucky)


ANOTHER MAKE-BELIEVE TEXAN:

“A burger battle is brewing between a Texas state legislator and the owner of Louis’ Lunch[2], a restaurant established in 1895, where it has been claimed the hamburger was invented.

“However, with the new session of the Texas legislature now under way, Republican State Rep. Betty Brown has proposed a resolution declaring Athens, Texas, is the original home of the hamburger.

[. . .]

“’It’s a well-known and established fact that New Haven is the home of the hamburger. In fact, New Haven’s claim to the hamburger is even supported and documented in the Library of Congress,’ [New Haven mayor John] DeStefano said.

“DeStefano notes that New Haven has been a cradle of creativity, as the birthplace of the cotton gin, the first rubber tires, the corkscrew, the Frisbee, lollipops, Erector Sets and pizza.[3]

“’We are even the birthplace of [george bush], who wants people to think he’s from Texas. So yes, the hamburger is as much a New Haven original as President [bush],’ DeStefano said. ‘Get over it, Texas.’” (AP article on the dispute)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU: Fire Engineering magazine is celebrating its 130th anniversary. Editor Bobby Halton on firefighters:

Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires. They know that walking on the critical boundary of extreme fire behavior is potentially if not predictably fatal, but the rewards are so great that the men and women of the fire service risk it anyway.

Quoting another expert on firefighters:

Firefighters are going to get killed. When they join the department, they face that fact. When a man becomes a firefighter his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed.
-- FDNY Fire Chief Edward F. Croker, in February, 1908, on the death of a deputy chief and four firefighters

[1] Stolen from one of Allan Sherman’s collection of pieces he didn’t feel like expanding into full-length song parodies.
[2] Located in New Haven, CT. Full disclosure statement: I have had many a fine burger at Louis’, when I lived in New Haven.
[3] New Haven was also the home of the first telephone exchange and the first telephone directory.

Mustang Bobby: Double Play!

Mustang Bobby has consecutive postings that are well worth reading: the first on Bigus Dickus and the Pentagon's "terrorist credit checks", and the second on "Spocko", a blogger who's fighting with MouseCo, ABC (as one wag put it, "Assimilated By Conservatives"), and KSFO, over the "extreme" comments by the station's neocon hosts.

In the Pentagon controversy, Bobby makes this observation:

Perhaps the most outrageous part of this maddening assault on our rights and our intelligence (pun intended) is the last one where the Vice President suggests -- hell, he proclaims -- that the opponents of the president and his divine revelations are playing into the hands of al-Qaida and other evil-doers. The truth is that it is the Bush administration who has lent encouragement to the terrorists with their weak and vacillating approach to fighting them, not to mention accomplishing their putative goal of destroying America from within by letting us do it ourselves with anti-democratic tactics like spying on our own citizens and bellicose bullying by the neocons like Dick Cheney.

Of course, the "bellicose bullying" is going to continue until (a) Cheney, bush, and company are impeached by the House, tried by the Senate, and removed from office, or (b) bush's successor is sworn in.

As for the Spocko saga, Bobby says:

Those of us who have supported Spocko, either with blog support or financial aid, know that this is just the start, and getting the attention of a major media outlet like the Times is a good step forward. Spocko also encourages bloggers to become well-informed about how they can defend themselves against the attacks of the likes of the trolls at KSFO and their minions in the legal profession. Education is the ultimate weapon and a bulging-biceps defense of bloggers' rights under the copyright law's Fair Use doctrine is part of that.

The mouth-breathin', Bible-thumpin', hooker-humpin', sister-marryin', rifle-rack-in-the-pickmup neocon wingnut idjits have gotten away with their shit -- aided and abetted by the bushtards -- for so long, they see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Civility just does not work with these morons:

KSFO’s Lee Rodgers: “Well I haven’t apologized for anything and I am not going to start with you. How the hell do you like that, creep?”

We're supposed to reach out to these oxygen thieves to promote bipartisanship? I call bullshit.

I wish I thought we would reach out to them as they "reached out" to us in 2000 and 2004... with the same vitriol and hatred, the same lack of respect, the same sarcasm and cynicism they showed us.

But we won't, and I know it.

Because WE are better than that.

Trevor Blake: bush and the Rule of Law

Trevor Blake at American Samizdat links to the george bush "60 Minutes" interview... and then makes this comment:

Very few people read American Samizdat [618 comments that more should read AmSam... daily]. But many, many people watch 60 Minutes. In no way is the fact that George Bush considers himself not subject to the Constitution of the United States a difficult to find fact. Why is it that most Americans aren't up in (metaphorical) arms that the rule of law has been suspended in their country? Where's that 'class consciousness' the left speaks of, the correcting mechanism that is activated by oppression and that causes oppressed groups to act in their own best interest, not in the interest of the rulers?

Two very good questions, indeed.

Schneier on the Automated Targeting System

I've cited Bruce Schneier a number of times in the past, but this time around, he really hits the nail on the head.

An article in the current issue of his newsletter CryptoGram -- and also appearing on his blog -- discusses the Automated Targeting System, the "terrorism score" program that was revealed in early December.

Schneier makes two crucial points:

The idea of feeding a limited set of characteristics into a computer, which then somehow divines a person's terrorist leanings, is farcical. Uncovering terrorist plots requires intelligence and investigation, not large-scale processing of everyone.

...and:

There is something un-American about a government program that uses secret criteria to collect dossiers on innocent people and shares that information with various agencies, all without any oversight. It's the sort of thing you'd expect from the former Soviet Union or East Germany or China. And it doesn't make us any safer from terrorism.

If you value your freedoms as an American you'll go read the entire article. Hell, read the entire issue. And his archives.

I can guarantee you, it will open your eyes.

On-Line Extortion E-Mail Scam

This is verbatim from the FBI website:


ONLINE EXTORTION E-Mail Scam Includes Hit-Man Threat
01/15/07
The scam e-mail, which first appeared in December, threatens to kill recipients if they do not pay the sender. It's a scam. FBI officials recommend you don't reply.

A new scam cropping up in e-mail boxes across the country is preying not on recipients’ greed or good intentions, but on their fears. The scam e-mail, which first appeared in December, threatens to kill recipients if they do not pay thousands of dollars to the sender, who purports to be a hired assassin.

About 115 complaints have been filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) since the scam emerged, according to special agent John Hambrick, who heads IC3. He said the extortion scam does not appear to target anyone specifically and that IC3 has not received any reports of money loss or threats carried out.

“This is a hoax, so do yourself a favor and don’t respond,” Hambrick said.

Replying to the e-mails just sends a signal to senders that they’ve reached a live account. It also escalates the intimidation, Hambrick said.

In one case, a recipient responded that he wanted to be left alone and threatened to call authorities. The scammer, who was demanding an advance payment of $20,000, e-mailed back and reiterated the threat, this time with some personal details about the recipient—his work address, marital status, and daughter’s full name. Then an ultimatum:

“TELL ME NOW ARE YOU READY TO DO WHAT I SAID OR DO YOU WANT ME TO PROCEED WITH MY JOB? ANSWER YES/NO AND DON’T ASK ANY QUESTIONS!!!”

Bill Shore, a special agent who supervises the computer crime squad in the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office, said recipients should not be overly spooked when scammers incorporate their intended victims’ personal details in their schemes.

“Personal information is widely available,” he said. “Even if a person does not use the Internet or own a computer, they could still be the victim of a computer crime such as identity theft.”

The extortion scam is a less subtle variation of some other e-mail scams designed to trick recipients into turning over money or personal information. Nigerian Letter schemes, in which recipients are offered the "opportunity" to share in a percentage of millions of dollars if they would first front some of their own money, are among the most prolific, along with phishing scams where recipients are asked in unsolicited e-mails to “update” their personal information.

The new extortion e-mails vary in style and content and generally contain misspellings and some broken English. But the underlying message appears to be the same: pay the sender or risk the alternative. A scam e-mail in December said as much:

“I have followed you closely for one week and three days now … Do not contact the police or F.B.I. or try to send a copy of this to them, because if you do I will know, and might be pushed to do what I have being (sic) paid to do.”

IC3 recently noted a new twist in the scam. Now e-mails are surfacing that claim to be from the FBI in London and inform recipients that an arrest was made in the case. The e-mail says the recipient’s information was found on the suspect and that they should reply to help further the investigation. This, too, is a scam.

The scams, agent Shore said, “are an opportunity to raise awareness about Internet fraud.” The best defense is to protect your personal information as best you can and to delete—unopened—unsolicited SPAM e-mail.

For more information on scams, visit our Common Fraud Schemes page. IC3 also has information on Internet crime schemes and prevention tips.

To report Internet crime, contact IC3 or your local FBI field office.

Response: Pet Blogging Update

Hello! Mrs. 618 here. I do feel at times like the gate keeper for the animals. Am I starting my own cat colony? Not intentionally. If the farmer up the road believed in spaying and neutering, things would be a lot better. And you will not see us on 'Animal Cops Detroit," although if 618 had his way, we would be the humane society. While I love animals, I feel it very important to stress that, like children, each house has its limit. I love Emily & Joey, and we are still working with Mr. Bailey, to see if he will integrate into our little family, but both he and Joey need to be nutted as 618 refers to it.

Ms. Sadie is always a welcome guest; if she can't sneak in she has learned to tap on the window then go to the door to be let in.

I wish I had had my camera the other day as we had an awesome Kodak moment: Emily the lab was stretched out on her side on the bed, then Joey snuggled into her belly on his side and Ms. Sadie nicely spooned into his tummy. How blessed we are to have this odd little family, but it works. Mama always said I should live on a farm, lots of kids and lots of pets to love. We're set with the pets... and the kids... well, that’s up to a higher power.

Homeland (In)Security

Cross-posted from Watching Those We Chose

We've probably all heard by now of the administration's claim of "authority" to open US Mail addressed to American citizens, without a warrant, based on the "exigent circumstances" associated with the Global War on Terra. And of course we all remember The Great NSA Wiretap Brouhaha from last year.

We now know also that both the CIA and the Defense Department are accessing our personal credit and financial files, again as part of the GWOT.

And we all know that "enemy non-combatants" can be imprisoned, virtually indefinitely, without benefit of any Constitutional rights, and can be tortured by Americans, even if the "enemy" is himself American or one of our few remaining allies.

Now comes news, via the NY Times, that the Defense Dept has also changed their internal regulations on wiretapping Americans, from certification from the Attorney General "issued under the authority of" FISA (Foreign Intelligance Surveillance Act), to "upon attorney general authorization."

This may not seem like much of a difference, but the ten deleted words now leave the DoD free to wiretap Americans without any judicial oversight whatsoever... not even the meagre oversight "provided" by the FISA court (which is, in effect, a Court of Star Chamber for the administration).

Based on the news recently, it appears the administration is concentrating its "homeland security" efforts on building power for the "unitary executive", rather than on the common good.

No one will argue the necessity of properly securing our nation, protecting our citizens and critical infrastructure, and preventing terrorist acts (and, ideally, eliminating the terrorists themselves). I've been in law enforcement and security for the past thirty years; you'll get no argument from me (or any other security professional) that we have to tighten things up, for our own protection.

BUT -- and this is a big "but" -- we cannot do so at the cost of those freedoms which made America, America.

Now that Democrats once again have a say in the workings of government, it is critical that we rein in the abuses of freedom inflicted under the guise of "homeland security." The institutionalized fascism that is the current administration must be brought to heel.

In addition to all the other goals for the 110th Congress, we must urge our Representatives (and Senators) to increase the actual security of our nation -- by hardening or removing targets, by protecting water and food supplies, by strengthening inspections of cargo containers entering our ports -- and at the same time reduce the suppression of honest dissent and the oppression of the American people under spurious claims of "executive privilege", "national security", "homeland security" and "the war on terror."

I hope to be able to present information on "the state of homeland security" -- both as it is and as it should be -- along with how our elected officials plan to balance homeland security and personal freedoms.

Pet Blogging Update

Yeah, I know, it's been months since we've done any pet-blogging here at 618Rants...

First and foremost, our condolences go out to Kevin Drum, formerly of CalPundit and now of Washington Monthly's Political Animal, on the loss of his cat, Jasmine, who died on January 4th. From what I've seen around the tubes, Jasmine pretty much started the whole cat-blogging genre.

On the local scene, I woke up the other day and looked down the bed at the Labrador and both cats. It wasn't until I was in the shower that a thought struck me: we only have one cat. Got out of the shower, dried off, went into the bedroom and counted the cats again: one, two. Woke up the lovely yet talented Mrs 618 and asked her how many cats we had.

"One, you jerk, you know that. Go away and let me sleep."

I asked her to count, and she came up with... two.

Turns out the second cat was Sadie, who (allegedly) lives next door. We figure she snuck in underneath Emily before we went to bed. Sadie, who certainly knows a sucker for a fuzzy face, is wildly enamored of the lovely yet talented Mrs 618 (much as I am, too, of course) and sneaks in whenever she can for a quick cuddle.

I attempted to pick Sadie up to put her back outside, but she utilized a cat's mystical ability to increase her weight from her normal 10 pounds, to slightly more than that of a fully-loaded Boeing 747.

I decided to let her sleep.

When I got home that evening, I got yet another surprise. Our cat Joey, and Sadie were both on the porch. Along with Mr. Bailey, a feral who's trying to "de-feralize" himself by moving in with us, Sadie's brother, and two other short-hair Maine coons.

Six cats. All similar in appearance. All trying to get into the house.

I expect to see myself on "Animal Cops Detroit" one of these days.

Flame: bush Shows No Empathy, Compassion, Understanding

Flame has an excellent post up at Blondesense, lambasting BlunderBoy preznit, and coming up with one of the best descriptions yet of LordGodKing Dick-n-george's approach to reality:

He has show no empathy towards the sacrifice of our sons and daughters in the armed services, he has no compassion or understanding towards the families and lives that they left behind. He gives wounded soldiers that oh so vacant stare and arrogant smirk, he doesn't even bother to remember the names of the family members of the fallen (and its not like he agrees to meet with a whole lot of them, really, how hard is it to remember the woman's name? Don't call her 'Mom' - she's not your mother, her child is dead thanks to your effing stupidity).

Of course bush has shown no empathy, compassion, or understanding. He has no concept of what they are. The "oh so vacant stare and arrogant smirk" are his entire existence.

He is simply being what he has ALWAYS been. That snotty, spoiled rich kid frat boy who always had Daddy and Daddy's money to bail him out.

Yup, that is george w bush, The Decider, to a "T".

And you wondered why I keep hitting BlondeSense? It's because of pieces like this.