WWIII Skirmish
	Two US Navy ships exchanged gunfire with pirates off the coast of Somalia. The early morning battle ensued after US sailors spotted a 30-foot vessel towing smaller skiffs.
US forces prepared a routine boarding operation when crew members on the larger pirate ship started shooting at the US ships.  Read the story.

Inept Michael Brown was head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency well before & during hurricane Katrina. He was responsible for prevention of damage, death, & injury. He was responsible for rescue and recovery. He failed to do his job.

Brown is now using politics to distract from his own weakness and failure. He blames his superiors.

Brown demonstrated inept management qualities and his inability to use FEMA resources to effectively accomplish his job before and during Katrina. He was in charge, had responsibility, had control of FEMA resources, and could have warned superiors at any time if he had cared about being effective.

Brown now further demonstrates his ineptitude by having failed to expose facts in the post-Katrina months. Now sinking in Katrina's aftermath, he further proves his ineptitude and weakness.

New Orleans Does A NO Looks like New Orleans. But no, it is post-Andrew Homestead, FL, in 1992. Hurricane Andrew, one of the most destructive hurricanes ever to hit the US, hit Homestead, FL, August 24, 1992. The city was rebuilt relatively quickly because residents wanted homes and to move on with their lives.

Six months after Hurricane Katrina hit, New Orleans is nearly unimproved and continues to ask other nations for handouts. Louisiana is demanding billions from the US.  Read the story.

The Yanks Are Over There
	Americans were proud in 1917 when their dough boys went "over there" to clean up the exploding stalemated threat to world peace. Irving Berlin wrote the song "Over There" to celebrate the dough boys and all Americans. Dough boys went over there and helped end WWI.
The Irving Berlin song refrained, "The Yanks are coming" and "It will be over over there". Today the Yanks are over there again.
But today Americans are afraid and preoccupied with short-sighted, petty political self-interests that threaten to divide the nation. They attack fundamental US institutions. Over the last 35 years terrorism has become easy to implement and more pervasive. The number of angry, suicidal terrorists has grown far beyond the number needed to destroy Western Civilization's life style.
When the wave of global terrorism washes upon America and does not abate as it did at sunset on 9/11, our self-interests will dissolve into self-preservation. Standing united will become the default.

Again
	Americans have suffered through three years of lower taxes. For three years most Americans paid less in taxes than they might have previously paid on the same income. The result of lower taxes is that the government collected 15% more revenue in 2005 than in 2004. Government revenue increases when taxes decrease.
Government revenue increase grew more than twice as fast as the economy itself. The budget forecasts receipts will grow another $132 billion from 2005 to 2006. That is an increase of 6.1%.

Gosh Darn Productive GDP
	War time spending is high, but not relatively. Below are relative costs to the USA during three periods of war. The first war was a hot war to save civilization from fascism. The second war was the Cold War to free civilization from the USSR. The third is the war to protect civilization from terrorism.
Defense Budget of: % of US GDP World War II, circa 1944 45% Cold War circa 1960 10% War Against Terrorism, 2006     3.5%
The US is budgeting hundreds of billions of dollars to prosecute the War Against Terrorism. Because the US economy has grown so large, it takes a smaller portion of it to wage war now than it took using the Great Depression era economy.
On a relative basis terrorists cost less to defeat than did either Hitler or the USSR. Take that, terrorists !

Oh Yes, You Do Want Me.
	Oh yes you do! Hillary knows. Clinton told Jane Pauley that Americans are growing "impatient" waiting for a woman president and, "People are saying, 'Well, at least we're ready.'... There's a feeling that it's time."
Clinton later added that she has detected a "certain impatience" for a female president.
A recent Gallop poll found that 51% of Americans have already decided to not vote for Hillary Clinton.

Welcome Into My Home
Have some food, meet my family, here is my daughter.  Do you need some money?
	Americans are a civilized bunch.
They live in peace and respect the rights of their neighbors. Some appear willing to invite al Qaeda members into their homes, feed and clothe them, and protect them from the US government.  Read the story.

Slippery But Caught
PFOA, perfluorooctanoic acid	DuPont agreed to pay fines totaling $10.25 million and $6.25 million for environmental projects. These actions settle EPA allegations that DuPont hid information about dangers of a toxic chemical used to make Teflon.  Read the story.

-----------
	The man who in 1981 attempted to assassinate Pope Paul II, was released from a Turkish prison after serving 25 years. On February 26, 2006, a report researched by the Italian government identified top officials of the USSR as having orchestrated the attempted assassination.

Deflation Confirmed
	General Motors announced that effective January 11, it will reduce prices on 80% of its cars and trucks. All Buick, Chevrolet, & GMC models and most Pontiacs are included.
These reductions combined with others of August, 2005, mean GM has reduced prices of vehicles representing 90% of its total volume.  Read the story.

Experimental Best Guess
	Doctors often must react quickly to save lives and prevent further deterioration of patients' condition. There are times when accepted or empirically-proven treatment regimens do not apply well to the specific patient.
Everyone should plan and then somehow be fortunate enough to have a trusted and wise healthy friend nearby any time they are receiving emergency care.  Read the story.

Hospitality Rewards
	Houston police reported a 23% increase in murders in 2005 over 2004. Houston, the 4th largest US city, accepted 150,000 New Orleans evacuees. New Orleans had the highest murder rate in the US in 2002 and 2003.
Houston's murder rate increase became clear over the Thanksgiving holiday. Fourteen people were killed over the holiday -- about twice the usual count. Murders are occurring more frequently in apartment complexes where evacuees are staying.

This story takes the cake for 2006... & the year has barely started.
Meddlers
Go M Blue	"M" stands for Meddlers. The University of Michigan, once known for its high caliber education and great sports teams, is suspending sales of Coca-Cola products on all of its campuses.  Read the story.

Inside Coming Out

Former president Bill Clinton, named special UN envoy for tsunami recovery, has been touring the region hit by 2004's tsunami. Recently he has slowed his pace and is pausing more frequently to rest. Clinton's close advisors -- demonstrating their typical lack of honesty and integrity -- commented on Clinton's condition. Clinton's spokesman Jim Kennedy said the president was fine. He added that, "The staff is exhausted but he's doing fine." Erskine Bowles, Clinton's deputy who has been with him throughout his presidency and advised him on other important matters from Lewinsky to impeachment to bin Laden, reiterated that the president was fine. "He has worn me out, though. There's no letup in this guy." Looking at recent photos of Clinton, it appears that perhaps there may be some let up.

Baghdad Good & Getting More Good
	Baghdad -- Leaders of Iraq's Sunni and secular groups cautiously welcomed a plan to bring foreign experts in to review election results that they had claimed were not honest.
The groups' leaders agreed to cooperate with experts and hope to join Shi'ites and Kurds in a grand coalition government capable of repairing sectarian wounds and providing all Iraqis with an effective democratic government.

Pause Vice President Dick Cheney was involved in a hunting accident. A fellow hunter accidentally got in Cheney's line of fire and was injured. Believe it or not, the media are screaming & rhetorically asking, "What are the political ramifications for the White House?"

Upon Whittington's release from the hospital seven days after the accident, the 78-year-old Austin attorney said, "We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue... Accidents do and will happen." He added that "My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with... We hope that he will continue to come and seek the relaxation that he deserves."

An accident of this nature is of course serious. Reasonable people hope the man hit with buck shot fully recovers. Only today's out-of-control media could turn this into a political issue.

Amidst the media-contrived frenzy has anyone considered how Mr. Cheney's heart condition and his emotions may be impacted for having caused such a serious accident? People may disagree with his politics, but that has nothing to do irreverently contriving a case to inflict pain upon Mr. Cheney... and the White House.

Greasy Deck Chair IPO

The NYSE is grabbing & pinching pennies so as to appear profitable before going public. It will charge floor traders $5,000 to use handheld trading devices. The NYSE fired 72 clerical workers and low-wage coat-room and bathroom attendants. The NYSE plans to cut $1.28 million in compensation costs over the next two years, primarily by reducing non-regulatory staff -- the workers who monitor trading & enforce rules. These cost cuts are insignificant when contrasted to the retirement package just handed its co-president, 55-year-old Bobby Britz... $1,000,000 a year for life... & ex-CEO Dick Grasso's $150-million-plus retirement package.

Spoilers
Don't Tread On Me	Christmas and the Christmas season create joy and festivities, bring out positive emotions, and evoke generosities even from Scrooges. Those bystanders who for various reasons are not able to join in often feel left out. Some become spoilers. Today's spoilers are everywhere.  Read the story.

Now It's OK
	Thank goodness for medical studies... well, some anyway... and this one, definitely yes! Researchers from University Hospital in Zurich studied male smokers and discovered significantly improved smoothness of arterial flow after eating dark chocolate.  Read the story.

Jobs & Economic Progress

Iraq's unemployment rate is down over 50% since Saddam Hussein was deposed. The unemployment rate was 60%, now it is 28%. Iraq's economy has grown approximately 30%.

USA's Affordable Housing

Housing in the USA is more affordable than in several decades -- a fact demonstrated by more Americans owning their homes than ever. Factors include low interest rates, equity and mortgage mechanisms, and increased income levels. Today's housing is higher quality than ever.

Plan
	The United States has been known as the liberator and savior of nations throughout the 20th century. Not all people always approve of all of its methods, but its record is historic.
Overall Objective for Iraq:  To remove the brutal and globally menacing dictator Saddam Hussein and allow a free and safe Iraq to develop.
Today many complacent and less-well educated people have come to hate the US. These people fail to think with a historical perspective or an eye to the future. Where will they live and hide if their hatred of the US results in its severe damage?  Read the story.

Imagine

Iran has now restarted its nuclear fuel enrichment program. Imagine, what if Iran's leadership led it into productive territory instead of destructive ventures aimed to confront civilization. From the desert Iran could build a paradise for its millions of people.  Read the story.

Politicians, Business Leaders & . . .
	Yes, Bono & other Hollywood types. They feel guilty about their excesses or want you to think they're involved. That's the lineup playing at the World Economic Conference in Davos, Switzerland. As Bono described it, "Here we are, fat cats in the snow."
Condoleezza Rice & President Bush stayed in the US avoiding the fiasco.

GlobalNewscast

Consequently
	The American pictured left, Narseal Batiste, AKA, Brother Naz and Prince Manna, led a group of seven arrested in Miami on conspiracy charges. They planned to blow up the Sears Tower, the FBI building in Miami and other government facilities.
In Chicago, head of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communication said no arrests, search warrants, or charges have been filed in connection with the Miami-based investigation.
Both the well-financed international groups and the home-grown loser groups are capable of using simple technological conglomerations to kill and destroy within civilized communities. Chemical, biological and nuclear devices can be exploited more readily than most Americans appear to understand.
It is not too early to awaken to the multi-sourced threats bearing down upon Western civilization. Some day it may be too late.  Read the story.

Specious Betrayal Former Senator Bob Dole was propped up to play candidate for the Republicans in the phony presidential election of 1996. Republicans, needing a candidate who would not squander his real run for the presidency, propped up Dole to face off with the invincible Bill Clinton. Being too old anyway, Dole was rewarded for his years of party loyalty. Today Dole has performed another duty. Dole is a registered lobbyist. He and his law firm of Alston & Bird were hired in 2005 by Dubai Ports World to facilitate its takeover of shipping operations in six US ports. Dubai officials were planning for their purchase of the British company P & O and knew it could be controversial and negatively charged politically.  Read the story.

Baggageoshit Illinois is the state responsible for Senator Obama, who after two week's governmental experience, the Democrats were ready to nominate for president of the US, and Senator Durbin, who speaking on the floor of the United States' Senate, likened American servicemen to Nazis. Illinois is also the state of Governor Rod Blagojevich who, after appearing on Comedy Central's program "The Daily Show" said he didn't realize it was a comedy spoof of the news. He later added, "It was going to be an interview on contraceptives... that's all I knew about it". Blagojevich told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "I had no idea I was going to be asked if I was 'the gay governor.'" Illinois may need to change its motto from, "The Land of Lincoln" to "The Pathetic State".

Losing Oscar Nielsen Media Research reports the Academy Awards' audience was down 10% from 2005. Nielson Media scanned the 55 largest markets and found 2006's ceremony to be the second least-watched in recent history.

Did Oscar expect his ceremony highlighting negative emotions, demanding lectures, anger and destruction to be a positive celebratory ceremony? Oscar's movies are not instructional, hopeful, positive, or entertaining. Oscar forgot that his ceremony is voluntary. People don't volunteer for nasty painful events, unless, of course, it is to defend the United States of America in wartime.

A Better Investment
	Dubai's governor Sultan Nasser al-Suweidi spoke of the stir from US lawmakers over DP World's ports deal saying, "Investors are going to take this into consideration... They will look at investment opportunities (in the US) through new binoculars."
He is correct. How wise of him to realize.
Serious global investors and Americans now see the US is starting to defend and protect itself. US investments are now safer than they have been in several years.  Read the 3/13 update.

Former Bush Aide Arrested
	Claude A. Allen was President Bush's nominee in 2003 to a federal appeals court position. In 2005, Allen was appointed the president's top domestic policy adviser.
In his position, Claude Allen was the highest-ranking African American on the White House staff. He was earning -- being paid -- $161,000 per year at the time.  Read the story.

Hawaii Awash
	An area of Hawaii once filled with vegetation had still been protected by an 1890s-era levee. The old levee broke and allowed flooding when it was overwhelmed by rain water.
Governor Linda Lingle extended state disaster programs and services. The flooded area in the northern hills of Kauai continues to be threatened by potential failure of another dam.  Read the story.

Yes Ma'am
	Bill has stepped on Hillary's policy lines for the last time. Bill's people have agreed to clear all policies and opinions with Hillary's people before Bill speaks his mind.
Bill's UAE Dubai relations, his Iraqi War stance, and other free-wheeling thoughts are seen by Hillary as impeding her progress toward the presidential run in 2008. Bill has agreed to succumb to Hillary's objectives... at least in public.

Moving Along Slowly
	His name means "The one and only". Adwaitya lived in a zoo in the east Indian city of Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, for 131 years. Adwaitya was a giant Aldabra tortoise
Adwaitya was from the South Pacific Seychelles Islands. He was a gift from British seamen for Robert Clive an official of the British East India Company. Robert Clive died in 1774.
Subir Chowdhury, the Kolkata Zoo director said Adwaitya is believed to be at least 250 years old. Carbon dating procedures will be used to determine his precise age. Adwaitya had not been ill during all his years. He was treated for his first illness, an infection, and cured eight years ago.

Take This Complex labels are shortened into acronyms for easy acceptance by parents and teachers. Doctors use these acronyms to gain parental acceptance. Then they prescribe those acronym drugs for unsuspecting children. Then parents clandestinely disguise those acronym drugs in their children's food. These legal drugs are proving to be lethal.

After years of use, some widely prescribed anti-depressant and behavior modification drugs are observed to cause unexpected consequences. How much more will be discovered in the years ahead?  Read the story.

Spanned Less Green
	Fortunate son.  Read the story.

Do You See Now?
	Generous nations working for decades toward Middle East peace are threatening to cut off financial aid to a new Palestinian government democratically elected by the Palestinian people. The Islamic militant group Hamas is forming a new government with old objectives.
Hamas is demanding donations from the West in order to fund its war against the West, destroy Israel, pay suicide bombers, buy weaponry, and continue terrorism. Palestinians used their vote to put Hamas in power.  Read the story.

Fish Have Nuts
	PETA is supporting fish. The animal rights group wants fishermen to promise to follow a "Code of Angling Ethics" before they're issued a license.
Karin Robertson of PETA said, "Just like dogs and cats, fish feel pain, so if you wouldn't hook dogs through the mouth and drag them behind your car, you shouldn't hook fish through the mouth and drag them behind your boat."  Read the story.

A Ford-unable
	The name qualified him, but he is unqualified. Apparently he is unqualified to hire qualified managers to operate the company efficiently & effectively.
Today the Ford Motor Company has the smallest market share it has had since the late 1920s.  Read the story.

The Milk Of Arrogance
	New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, commemorating MLK Day, said, "Surely God is mad at America... It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans - the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans. This city will be a majority African American city. It's the way God wants it to be."
Nagin continued, "You can't have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn't be New Orleans...  I don't think that we need to pay attention any more as much about other folks and racists on the other side... The thing we need to focus on as a community -- black folks I'm talking about -- is ourselves."  Read the story.

Teddy's Angry
	Ted Kennedy has been angrily lecturing about abuses of presidential power by President Bush. Ted was busy at Harvard cheating on tests, getting expelled, and using his father to get him reinstated.
Ted forgot about his brothers, President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's activities in the early 1960s.  Read the story.
Note:  Amidst the stir Kennedy aroused questioning Judge Alito, Teddy was questioned by Boston TV station WHDH about his membership in the "sexist" collegiate Owl Club. Kennedy denied having been a member for around 50 years, yet he had updated his membership in September, 2005. Teddy now resigned.

Juvenile Nuclear Pong
	A scheme personally approved by then-President Clinton set up the CIA to deliberately give Iranian physicists blueprints for part of a nuclear bomb. Clinton's plan was to outsmart Iranian scientists. However his plan to outsmart was itself outwitted. Iran - one, US - zero.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government announced that it has removed UN-placed security seals monitoring nuclear facilities and is resuming its uranium enrichment program.  Read the story.

On The Job
	This firefighter was photographed ascending a stairway inside the World Trade Center on 9/11. While civilians descended toward safety, he and many other firefighters and police ascended to search upper floors for trapped victims.
This firefighter is one of the many rescuers lost somewhere on some upper floor minutes after this photograph was snapped.  Read the story.

Whom?
	Russia, Ukraine, and some European nations are disputing how much natural gas has been, is being, and will be pumped, diverted, and sold at inflated prices by Ukraine. Whom do you trust?
As usual in this region, it depends upon who is doing what to whom in what magnitude at any given moment.

A Sunny Life
	Copied from the Chicago Tribune Internet weather site: "Another cloudy and dreary day with occasional rain. Turning colder at night, and rain changes to snow before ending." Dreary is in their minds. It's still wonderful to be healthy and have the opportunities available in the USA.

Dining Experience

Patricia Wells, internationally-known author & restaurant reviewer, visited a new restaurant in Napa Valley's Yountville. The restaurant is owned by Chef Richard Reddington, formerly chef at the famed Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, California. Ms. Wells said, "We dined there right after the opening and, though I loved the food, I did not love the dining room, nor the overly casual look of many of the diners (read: torn blue jeans). Something does not sit right when a bevy of well-outfitted waiters are there serving diners wearing clothes I would not even wear to take out the garbage."

Oops Zap Spark Boom

State Farm Insurance Company is warning potential rescuers of accident victims about the hazards of hybrid vehicles.  Read the story.

Free
	The majority of US military service men and women volunteered to serve after 9/11. The remainder of those currently serving had volunteered prior to 9/11, many choosing military careers.
Therefore, most US military personnel understand their fight and freedom. Not all politicians do.

Standardless Wireless
A Pre-n router	Wireless data is amazing and it actually works much of the time. The standards that allow the variety of devices in the data flow chain from servers to user computers and back is about to change.   Read the story.

Atomic Accomplishment

President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an agreement to counter the threat of nuclear terrorism. The joint statement was released at presidential summit in Bratislava, Slovakia. A recent US intelligence report warned that Russian nuclear material could still fall into terrorist hands.  Read the story.

Reneged
	The Austrian stadium named in honor of the City of Graz' most famous ex-resident, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had his name erased from its entrance. The stadium will go by its historical name, "Graz-Liebenau."
Could it be the Austrians preferred that, instead of executing this convicted brutal multiple murderer, California had exported Stanley Tookie Williams to Graz.  Read the story.

GlobalNewscast

 

 

But Did The Terrorists Promise? The pending purchase of British global port operator P&O by the United Arab Emirates company DP World has finally aroused Congress over a real issue.

DP World's acquisition of P&O would give the UAE company control over most operations at ports in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore and New Orleans.

Unless President Bush intervenes, the Dubai ports takeover is set to commence on March 1.

Approval of this deal will provide a Dubai-controlled company access to US Homeland Security port and shipping procedures, controls and defense plans.

Since 9/11, one of the commonly acknowledged serious and large gaps in US security relates to its ports, commercial ship controls and shipping containers that cannot -- even more than four years after 9/11 -- be adequately inspected!

Senator Charles Schumer, New York Democrat, said, "I approach this with a great deal of dubiousness... The chances for infiltration are just too great". Schumer should have pushed his eye glasses up on his nose and...  Read the story.

Read what Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has to say about this insidious, ridiculous and dangerous deal.

Third Grade Judgment Apparently school administrators in Brockton, Massachusetts' Downey Elementary School have the judgment of a third grader.

The administration suspended a first grade boy for three days and accused him of sexual harassment. He allegedly put two fingers inside a girl's waistband as she sat on the floor in front of him.  Read the story.

Throwing The Nation Out With The Bath Water South Dakota's state senate was the first to pass an abortion ban. Five other states are developing similar bans. These bans are aimed at giving the US Supreme Court an opportunity to overturn rulings granting women the right to the procedure. Americans are expending resources and waging civil wars over abortion rights while civil rights resist resolution. These contentious activities are concomitant with unending mean-spirited disputes involving US Constitutional nuances of language, phrasing, intent, and contemporary culture. Fanatical terrorists need only sit in their caves, watch al Jazeera TV, and wait for the USA to self-destruct.

Red Tape Resolution Six months after -- Thousands of people and their neighborhoods are in the same destroyed condition as the day after Katrina & Rita hit. People complain about red tape, no payments, unfair conditions, unpaid insurance claims, etcetera. Smile, you're on.  Read the story.

Can She?
	Informing her NBC morning viewers of her move to CBS, Katie Couric looked into the camera and said, "I really feel that we have become friends over the years".
Is it conceivable that she could possibly have deceived herself in believing that we are so needy, weak-minded, and lonesome that we look to TV for friends? ...And, then, in our stupors, we would consider anyone so obviously phony as she, a friend?

Raining What?
	A panel assembled by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome has selected its partners for the let's Wi-Fi the whole city project. Partners will include Google and Earthlink.
For the city by the bay that is populated with so many worried about second hand smoke, a little extra cholesterol, a few more French fries, or missing a day's exercise, consider the additional electromagnetic radiation soon to be zapping through their bodies and brains 24/7.  Read the story.

Betrayal Redoubled
	Cindy Sheehan, the American mom whose son died in Iraq defending America, received a paid vacation courtesy of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.
Chavez, speaking on his Sunday radio show while hugging Sheehan said, "Enough of imperialist aggression. We must tell the world, down with the US empire... We have to bury imperialism this century. Cindy, we are with you in your fight."
Cindy trusts and interacts with South American dictators as though they were the boys in her home town down the street as if they shared classes in high school.  Read the story.

It's OK To Enjoy
	The joke's on you. It turns out that after replacing those great tasting greasy cheeseburgers with veggie-burgers, you did not benefit your heart. You were only depriving your tummy of good taste and your psyche of satisfaction.  Read the story.

How Many Are Many?
	How many days do you go to work in order to make enough to retire? Many years worth of days. Put that in minutes and it works out to giga-gazzillions... and how about all those seconds? What's taking you so long?
If not for the US having waged the global War Against Terrorism passively over the last 35 years and actively since 9/11/2001, we might not be allowed the time we need. We may have already been blown up by Taliban-like fanatics.  Read the story.

Too Simple
	Iran has removed UN-placed security seals that were monitoring nuclear facilities. It is resuming its uranium enrichment program. Iran says it is threatened by the West.
If Iran used its oil and pistachio revenues to build its people's literacy levels, economy, and infrastructure, it might become a global powerhouse. It could then be as powerful as any Western nation. So why would Iran insist upon building nuclear weapons and resist more productive efforts?

Definition & Theory
	Judge Alito, seen here with his wife before hearings, personifies the definition of judge. He appears to operate following the traditional theory of being a judge.
Alito stated a judge's role is similar to a umpire who calls balls and strikes; it is not one of activist-advocate for a partisan or ideological position. In hearings he said, "A judge can't have any agenda, a judge can't have any preferred outcome in any particular case, and a judge certainly doesn't have a client."
Judge Alito is one of the most Solomon-like judges to sit on any bench today. His record verifies that he is intellectually capable of remaining impartial, agenda-free, and holding appropriately to precedent. All who appear before him need to know the law, relevant precedents, understand the case, have a just cause, and speak logically and concisely. A fair hearing will follow.

War Spurs Economic Growth While Preserving Freedom
	Iraqi War studies continue to flow from academic, military, political, educated and less-educated sources. A recent study identified select factors and spun each into a detrimental, no-win, unproductive cost mode.
If this war and the next wars are won by civilization, life will resume in peace having had freedoms secured... again... for a while.  Read the story.

Cleaning & Cooling
	Big polluting nations Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, and the US have established the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate.
The organization will promote clean energy technology as a way to tackle climate change without sacrificing economic development.  Read the story.

Mr. Smarteepants
	Chances are you never heard of Nicola Tesla, but everyone's heard of Alva Edison. Do you know why?

Need
	You come into the world with nothing; You leave the world with nothing; While you're here, you should accomplish something and have something really cool.

Kyoto Check Up
	Canada, home to the pristine, always doing-good people who signed on the Kyoto protocol bandwagon, provides an interesting spot check for environmentalists and nationalists.  Read the story.

Point One

He taught men pride & to sacrifice for principle. Knute Rockne, the all-time greatest football coach, emigrated from Sweden with his parents when he was four years old. He was a dumb Swede.

Knute Rockne understood & knew how to teach the important aspects of sports: Sportsmanship, integrity and teamwork. There was no room for sore muscle massages, whining, and drugs.  Read the story.

Freedoms Constrained
Live Free Or Die	The Village of Deerfield, Illinois, passed an ordinance banning smoking in public places and workspaces. Offices, restaurants, bars - all public gathering places including farmers' markets, public assemblies, and parades will be included in the ban.
Six village trustees unanimously passed the ordinance. Village trustee William Seiden, who often tries to flex for negative issues, said, "It's pretty all-inclusive."
Abraham Lincoln's Illinois has changed since Honest Abe left.
Presumably Deerfield's smoking ban will be in effect on July 4, for the Independence Day Parade and celebration of our waning freedoms.

Quota Yes, Quality Not
Raines will be paid $3,831.10 everyday for life.
Raines with pal	Proving you can fool most of the people most of the time until you get caught, Franklin Raines, who reigned for 5 years following Clinton's appointing him as CEO of Fannie Mae, the US' quasi-governmental mortgage house, has been ousted.
Several ongoing investigations of Fannie Mae's operations and accounting practices cover the last 5 years. Current estimates indicate a $9 billion misstatement of earnings and accounting irregularities between 2000-2004 under Raines' reign.
Former chief executive Franklin Raines received more than $40 million in bonuses and other pay as a result of falsely inflated earnings at the US' largest mortgage finance company.  Read the story.
Update -- 2/22/2006:  Former Senator Warren Rudman's team of investigators and auditors selected from his law firm, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and from Huron Consulting Group presented their 600-page report calling Fannie Mae's accounting systems "grossly inadequate." It is based on a review of millions of documents.
The report found that accounting obfuscations were intended to increase stock valuations, thus increasing executive bonuses.
Raines was one of the most influential and politically savvy figures in Washington is identified by the Rudman investigation as not directly knowing that Fannie Mae's accounting practices violated rules. The report does state, "We did find, however, that Raines contributed to a culture that improperly stressed stable earnings growth and that... he was ultimately responsible for the failures that occurred on his watch".

Murtha's Mirth
	The following questions are for US Representative John Murtha who calls for withdrawal of nearly all US military force from Iraq. If your demand were implemented in the next months before Iraq is able to defend itself from internal and external threats, demagogues and fanatics...
what would happen?  Read the story.

Opportunity Too Simple The US State department requested that the Palestinian Authority return $50 million in US aid. The US wants to prevent aid money from being usurped and funding a Hamas-led government that is sworn to violence.

Following the election victory of the militant group Hamas, the US initiated a full review of Palestinian aid. The review will identify recipients and uses of US aid.

Resolution of the aid dilemma is too simple to be feasible amidst today's unthinking, irrational, emotionally-charged global turmoil. The solution is to stop sending money. Instead, the US should send only US-grown grains, US-manufactured food, and US-made clothing and building supplies to the Palestinian people.

And as for oil producing countries...  Read the story.

Growth By Tax Cuts
	The US economy grew 4.3% in the third quarter of 2005. This was the best performance in over a year providing additional proof that overall US economic health improved despite the Gulf Coast hurricanes. The US Labor Department reported 215,000 jobs were created in November, the biggest gain since July.
Upgraded performance reflects brisk spending by consumers, businesses, and continued strong investment on residential projects greater than initially expected.  Read the story.

EUnuff

The European Economic Community was established as a trade zone in 1957. The word 'Economic' was removed from the name by the Maastricht treaty in 1992. That treaty effectively made the European Community the first of three pillars of the European Union, called the Community Pillar. Perhaps the people of Europe value their national heritages and sovereignties. They apparently have a limited desire to live under a nationalized Europe... especially in our age of dissolving centuries-old nation-state structures.  Read the story.

Don't Care

McDonald's said it is still trying to make good on a nearly 3-year-old promise to provide a healthier blend of oil for its French fries. It is running blind taste tests at a few undisclosed restaurants. McDonald's spokesman Walt Riker said, "We're continuing to test in a small number of restaurants... It's important for our customers, and we'll continue to test to get it right." Janna Sampson of Oakbrook Investments stated the obvious for all food lovers when she said, "Rolling out a new cooking oil for its fries could pose a risk to sales of one of McDonald's most popular menu items... It's hard to imagine they can do that without some effect on the taste or texture of the fries... I just don't think the people buying fries care that much" about trans fat.

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Out Damned Spot

Freedom, Opportunity, And Support To Each According To His Skills The United States' Senate is moving toward offering an official apology for lynching that occurred over the last centuries on US soil. Presumably the apology will be directed to lynching victims of all races, nationalities, and religions. The USA has provided a sea of positives amidst a few drops of negative that integrate to provide our opportunity-filled lifestyle. If we are of worthy character, perhaps the USA will continue to exist.  Read the story.

Picture That

Saddam's son, Odai, carried in the tradition using torture tools on underperforming athletes. Saddam Hussein regularly photographed and videoed the tortures, rapes, and executions of Iraqis who displeased him. He then broadcast and sent copies of images to victims' families. Saddam Hussein is going to take legal action against a British newspaper for having published photos of him in his prison cell washing his clothes. Saddam's chief lawyer, Ziad Al-Khasawneh, said, "We will sue the newspaper and everyone who helped in showing these pictures." Saddam Hussein constructed, directed, and operated a regime of torture, rape, mass murder, sadism, and fear. He forced this upon 25 million Iraqis for 33 years. In a rational world Saddam would have been convicted, sentenced and now be serving multiple life terms for his crimes against women, men, children, Iraq's culture, the death and destruction inflicted upon his Middle East community, and all of humanity.

Do They Deserve This?

Carleton S. Fiorina was a strong candidate to become the next president of the World Bank according to a Bush administration official. The developing world, once known as the third world, still much under-developed and relying on the World Bank, almost had another impediment to overcome. Carly Fiorina, one of corporate America's highest paid female executives, was fired. Six months later HP's stock was up 60%.  Read the story.

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Campus Life

The American Heritage Dictionary defines "campus" as "The grounds of a school, college, university, or hospital." Businesses have traditionally referred to their offices as corporate headquarters, branch offices, local operations, customer service centers and other functionally descriptive terms. Today the term "corporate campus" has crept into our culture replacing those old business-oriented terms of that long dead 20th century. The question is, "When do employees replace their collegiate lifestyles with a corporate lifestyle more conducive to business-oriented cooperation?" The answer apparently is never. The sloppy dress, slovenly, uninvolved attitudes, the dirty demeanor accepted in college -- but just as destructive there -- is now carried on into the workplace. Today's prevailing nihilistic attitude of so many people has followed the blossoming of our nihilistic culture.

You won't have to do it. The Marines are.

The Marine corporal videotaped in a Fallujah mosque in November, 2004 shooting an apparently injured and unarmed Iraqi during a fire fight, will not face a court-martial. Marine Corps Major General Richard F. Natonski, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division said that a review of the evidence and enhanced review of the videotape showed the Marine's actions were "consistent with the established rules of engagement and the law of armed conflict." In preparation for the November 8 assault on the rebel-infested Fallujah, Marine commanders explained the rules of engagement to infantrymen. Those rules allow the use of deadly force against men of military age deemed to hold hostile intent, even if the enemy didn't fire on the Marines first. This is war. And how encouraging that, as the Marines are defending the free world, they are also allowed to defend themselves... politely of course.

You Do It

The Marine under investigation for killing a wounded Iraqi during the offensive in Fallujah has been cleared of wrong-doing. The mosque was being used by enemy forces to attack US and Iraqi soldiers. Anyone who second guesses this Marine's reaction in this life-threatening situation should go to Iraq, fight to liberate 25 million Iraqis, fight fanatic Muslims who prefer death and killing Americans.  Read the story.

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Oops -- A Partnership Is Born

President Vicente Fox has succumbed to one of those sticky partnerships with Jesse Jackson. This proves that even the president of a major country is not immune if he is weak.  Read the story.

Media Undone

Newsweek magazine admitted it erred when it reported that US interrogators desecrated the Koran at Guantanamo Bay. Media people and their frequent glorifications of each other are out of control. Read the story.

Quiet Blitzkrieg

The Brandenburg Gate Wiser, chastened, but again plotting, Germany is on the move again. In 1939, to accomplish his primary objective, Hitler temporarily allied with Russia. Today Schröder & Fischer are allying with India and an unnamed African country to achieve their primary objective. Today's blitzkrieg is orchestrated by politicians who have learned from past German mistakes.  Read the story.

Tough Straits

China accused the United States of sending a false signal to Taiwan when the US disclosed a CIA assessment that indicates the military balance between Taiwan and China is shifting in China's favor. Under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, a threat to the peace and security of Taiwan is of serious concern to the US. The act explicitly states that the US is obliged to make available to Taiwan defense articles and defense services in quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient defense capability.  Read the story.

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