Monday, September 24

http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/sorensen/

And we are asking our government for protection, whatever the cost to our freedoms.

That's a clear victory for the terrorists.

When America stops being America, the bad guys have won. If we are indeed the land of the free and the home of the brave, we should bravely continue our freedoms, not give them up.

Now is the time for us to be stubborn and resolute. Now is the time for us to question authority, not extend it. Now is the time for us to argue and debate and decide what's right, not march in lockstep behind the leader of the moment.

Friday, September 21

Salon.com Technology | God bless Big Brother The Department of Justice's bill introduces a host of surveillance and detention measures that have been immediately denounced by civil libertarians. The proposal includes intrusions on e-mail privacy, extensions of the government's ability to use information gathered by dubious means (such as torture) and the relaxation of safeguards against intrusive government surveillance.

Thursday, September 20

How many of you knew that the Taliban's spokesperson to the United States is
the niece of a former CIA director?

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0124/ridgeway.php
Should We Federalize Airport Security?

Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said he was not yet ready to make that specific recommendation. While promising to improve security measures, he said he has not come to the conclusion that federalization of airport security personnel "is the best way to go."
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If this isn't 'the time', when is 'the time'? Hopefully SOMETIME before the next 'incident'?!!!

Wednesday, September 19

Gay, lesbian troops can serve openly -- for now / Pentagon suspends discharges during conflict Gay, lesbian troops can serve openly -- for now
Pentagon suspends discharges during conflict

The network said, however, that those who choose to disclose they are gay might face discharge after the conflict is ended, as happened to gay troops after the Gulf War.

"The stop-loss order is an explicit acknowledgment by the Pentagon that gays and lesbians can serve their country, no question about that," Steve Ralls, spokesman for the network, said yesterday. "It also sends the unfortunate message that while there are (gay men and lesbians) who put themselves in harm's way, who risked their lives for the country, they can expect to be fired from their job" once the conflict is over.
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Isn't that SPECIAL. Gay people are good enough to die for their country during a time of crisis, but can expect discharge immediately after the conflict is over? What sort of nonsense is that? Only in Amerika.
Salon.com Life | Hell no, they won't go -- yet Hell no, they won't go -- yet
Maybe it's the lack of an identifiable enemy, maybe it's the terror of high-tech war, but young men eligible for the military are not marching down to sign up
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I've been wondering if the lines at the recruiter were as long as those at the Red Cross blood banks. Volunteerism has it's limits.
Salon.com Technology | Send in the online spooks? "If we accept 'anti-terrorism' measures that do further damage to our Constitutional freedoms, that will have been a victory for terrorism," wrote open-source software advocate Eric Raymond in a widely circulated e-mail sent Tuesday, the day of the attacks.

Monday, September 17

Nostradamus: Did Famed Seer Nostradamus Predict the World Trade Center Attack? The first was making the rounds within hours of the attacks. It said:

"In the City of God there will be a great thunder,
Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb",
The third big war will begin when the big city is burning"
- Nostradamus 1654

Unfortunately, Nostradamus died in 1566, so it's rather unlikely he wrote this passage in 1654. The quatrain is not to be found in his published oeuvre. It's a hoax.
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Yet another reason the internet generation turns to The Tim Times - Enlightening the Internet Generation.

Friday, September 14

God Gave U.S. 'What We Deserve,' Falwell Says (washingtonpost.com) God Gave U.S. 'What We Deserve,' Falwell Says

By John F. Harris
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 14, 2001; Page C03
Television evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two of the most prominent voices of the religious right, said liberal civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility for Tuesday's terrorist attacks because their actions have turned God's anger against America.
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No shortage of religious nuts on either side of the Atlantic.

Monday, September 10

American Politics Journal -- More News You'll Never See On TV! More News You'll Never See On TV!
The Wall Street Journal's Resident Pro-Life GOP Moralist Knocks Up His Girlfriend's Daughter... and Lets Her Get an Abortion!
No need to raid funds for Pentagon

No need to raid funds for Pentagon

Parents should recognize the syndrome right away. Your teenager comes home with an emergency request for $150.
Ten minutes later it's evident that the question isn't about where the money's coming from, but where it's going. Twenty minutes later your teen admits it wasn't something she really needed, after all.
So it is with the proposition that we raid either the Social Security or the Medicare surplus to give Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld $18.4 billion over and above the Bush administration's original defense budget request.
Before we start asking where we're going to find the money, why don't we look closer at where it's going? For starters, $8.3 billion of the extra money would be earmarked to speed implementation of President Bush's pet project, ballistic missile defense.
Trimming any part of that request, Rumsfeld told the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee, would throw way off schedule Bush's program to abrogate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, alienate the Russians and the Chinese, and terrify the rest of Asia.
Bush Puts Freeze on Aid for Utility Bills Bush Puts Freeze on Aid for Utility Bills
Energy: President delays releasing $300 million that would help low-income households avoid shut-offs.

By RICHARD SIMON, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- When President Bush visited California in May, he pledged to seek $150 million to help low-income households pay high energy bills, saying, "I hope Congress acts quickly."

Congress in July authorized $300 million to help energy consumers nationwide, double the president's request.

But today, none of the emergency aid has been allocated, although officials in California and other states say the money is still desperately needed to help families pay off high bills from last winter and avoid utility shut-offs.
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Is there any shred of honesty in this President?

Friday, September 7

Salon.com Politics | Senator suggests using Social Security surplus for spending Senator suggests using Social Security surplus for spending

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By Alan Fram
Sept. 6, 2001 | WASHINGTON (AP) --
A widely respected Senate Republican parted from the political gospel of both parties Thursday and said no harm would come from tapping a portion of Social Security's surpluses for other federal spending.
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Slimy, cheeseball, son-of *@#####!!!!!!!!!!! The Republicans will get theirs in the next election cycle, assuming they don't use the courts to usurp the peoples intents.
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said dipping into Social Security's surpluses could be a way to handle a budget squeeze that is forcing lawmakers to hunt hard for extra money for defense, schools, farmers and other bipartisan initiatives.

Tuesday, September 4

"Having a baby has strengthened the relationship, although there are highs and lows and at times it's tough. I know we're very lucky," Winslet tells InStyle in an interview for its September issue.
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What Kate Winslet said about having a baby with her soon-to-be divorced husband of three years. It apparently strengthened it so much she is now getting a divorce from her husband. I can do without such 'strength' myself!!
Salon.com News | Colombia government report raises doubts about anti-drug strategy Colombia government report raises doubts about anti-drug strategy

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Michael Easterbrook
Sept. 2, 2001 | Bogota, Colombia --
A government report has raised fresh doubts about Washington's drug-fighting strategy in Colombia, saying aerial fumigation of crops may be damaging the environment and is failing to curb drug production.
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Weren't there enough 'doubts' already? How many more missionary planes do we have to shoot down to figure out the policy is corrupt?