Storm and Strife
I had an epiphany last night.
What began as a nightmare transformed itself into a vision of hope. I dreamt I was plodding my way through a horrific sandstorm. This ill wind was so dense I was incapable of seeing my own hand before my face. Yet farther into the distance I could discern an incessant incandescent glimmering of light; a solitary beacon in this all-encompassing velvet darkness.
A rivalry existed between every breath and step I took both possessing the inherent uncertainty of its predecessor and its sequel. Finally, after what seemed an endless journey there before me at my feet, tempest tossed, was a flame whose life force could not be denied.
I dropped to my knees, the blanket that served to give me shelter in this perilous storm, now as I hovered above and slowly descended upon the flame it availed itself as a tent. Using my hands and feet I anchored the blanket into the sand. Shrouded below it, I and this magnificent flame, both of us existing amidst nature's will and storm.
What began as a nightmare transformed itself into a vision of hope. I dreamt I was plodding my way through a horrific sandstorm. This ill wind was so dense I was incapable of seeing my own hand before my face. Yet farther into the distance I could discern an incessant incandescent glimmering of light; a solitary beacon in this all-encompassing velvet darkness.
A rivalry existed between every breath and step I took both possessing the inherent uncertainty of its predecessor and its sequel. Finally, after what seemed an endless journey there before me at my feet, tempest tossed, was a flame whose life force could not be denied.
I dropped to my knees, the blanket that served to give me shelter in this perilous storm, now as I hovered above and slowly descended upon the flame it availed itself as a tent. Using my hands and feet I anchored the blanket into the sand. Shrouded below it, I and this magnificent flame, both of us existing amidst nature's will and storm.
The Ill-Begotten: Reflections of Unconstitutional Precedence
There's been, and still exists, a concerted and systematic effort to disregard and eliminate our civil liberties in the name of terrorism. We are witnessing an assault upon our heritage, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. Liberty is not a partisan issue - and once given up we will once again have to take up arms and battle to regain them. As Benjamin Franklin so eloquently pronounced, "Those who would give up essential liberties for a measure of security, deserve neither liberty nor security."
Fear has replaced reason and logic. As Americans, when discussing the issue of preserving liberty while providing security, our foremost concern should be human rights, civil rights and civil liberties.
Since the first strike on the twin towers in 1993, the Oklahoma Federal Building bombing in 1995, as well as the events of September 11th, 2001 and the Anthrax scare, collectively we've had to grapple with the devastating scope and scale of these attacks. It has forced each of us to re-assess our understanding of believable and unbelievable - of what's thinkable and unthinkable. Our reality makes the best Hollywood script pale in comparison.
Fear has replaced reason and logic. As Americans, when discussing the issue of preserving liberty while providing security, our foremost concern should be human rights, civil rights and civil liberties.
Since the first strike on the twin towers in 1993, the Oklahoma Federal Building bombing in 1995, as well as the events of September 11th, 2001 and the Anthrax scare, collectively we've had to grapple with the devastating scope and scale of these attacks. It has forced each of us to re-assess our understanding of believable and unbelievable - of what's thinkable and unthinkable. Our reality makes the best Hollywood script pale in comparison.
A New Psychiatric Diagnostic Category; Politician Syndrome; DSM-IV 333.333
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) is the means by which mental health disorders are classified in the United States. This standardized approach is used by mental health professionals, insurance companies and the legal system. Clinicians use the manual to assist in diagnosis by reading the general description and checking off the different criteria. Those mildly impacted by a syndrome will meet the minimum number of criteria, the seriously impaired will meet all of the qualitative and behavioral conditions. Prognosis usually depends on the severity of the disorder. Differential diagnosis is made by ruling out other diagnoses with similar symptomatology.
DSM-IV - new category 333.333 Politician Syndrome
DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Politician Syndrome
DSM-IV - new category 333.333 Politician Syndrome
DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Politician Syndrome
Faith-based drug wars: Bush recruits religious youth groups as ground troops
Bush recruits religious youth groups as ground troops for the 'drug wars'
What do advocating "religious hiring rights," a $4 billion workplace retraining bill, and the war on drugs have in common? The short answer: Bring on the faith-based organizations!
Although more than 30 months have passed since President Bush announced the centerpiece of his domestic agenda -- his faith-based initiative -- and no significant broader efforts to fund his initiative has emerged from Congress, the administration continues to move ahead on a number of fronts.
Bush's latest faith-based proposal involves enlisting religious youth groups in the war on drugs. According to the Washington Times, the administration recently printed 75,000 copies of a guidebook to the drug wars called "Pathways to Prevention: Guiding Youth to Wise Decisions." The 100-page pamphlet "seeks to teach youth leaders how to handle questions and concerns about substance abuse." In addition to the publication, there's a new Web site and an e-mail newsletter.
The new anti-drug project is built around three premises which are spelled out in a fact sheet titled "Marijuana and Kids: Faith":
Although more than 30 months have passed since President Bush announced the centerpiece of his domestic agenda -- his faith-based initiative -- and no significant broader efforts to fund his initiative has emerged from Congress, the administration continues to move ahead on a number of fronts.
Bush's latest faith-based proposal involves enlisting religious youth groups in the war on drugs. According to the Washington Times, the administration recently printed 75,000 copies of a guidebook to the drug wars called "Pathways to Prevention: Guiding Youth to Wise Decisions." The 100-page pamphlet "seeks to teach youth leaders how to handle questions and concerns about substance abuse." In addition to the publication, there's a new Web site and an e-mail newsletter.
The new anti-drug project is built around three premises which are spelled out in a fact sheet titled "Marijuana and Kids: Faith":
Founding Father of Neocon Philosophy Leo Strauss and Jefferson's Impending Death
Even the national press has sounded the alarm about the "Straussians." The Bush administration, particularly its foreign policy team, has been and is still heavily influenced by neoconservative "intellectuals" who are themselves under the influence of the teachings of Leo Strauss. These include Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz; Abram Shulsky of the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans, Richard Perle of the Pentagon advisory board, and Elliott Abrams of the National Security Council.
Strauss, a refugee from Nazi Germany, came to America in the late 1930s and was particularly interested in political philosophy and the study of tyranny. He taught at the University of Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s during the Cold War, when capitalism went on a global manic binge and liberalism died a silent death with its conversion to "liberal" capitalism (an oxymoran) and away from socialism (Death of the American Politic, BushWatch, August, 2003).
Strauss, a refugee from Nazi Germany, came to America in the late 1930s and was particularly interested in political philosophy and the study of tyranny. He taught at the University of Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s during the Cold War, when capitalism went on a global manic binge and liberalism died a silent death with its conversion to "liberal" capitalism (an oxymoran) and away from socialism (Death of the American Politic, BushWatch, August, 2003).
If Famous Journalists Became Honest Rappers
The “Bulworth” movie -- with Warren Beatty playing a senator who
begins to speak disturbing truths in the form of rap lyrics -- caused quite
a stir when it came out five years ago. At the time, I wondered aloud in a
column about what might happen if leading journalists followed that
fictional example.
I’m biased, but it seems to me that some of my lyrics have stood the test of time. For instance:
DAN RATHER: “I like to tell the public how it pains me so -- to be more superficial and keep racking up the dough.”
COKIE ROBERTS: “Born and bred in the pundit patch, I utter easy notions with great dispatch. Every spectrum has a center, every player has a price. If you want to stick my neck out, I have to say no dice.”
BRIT HUME: “I love to tell you all the news on Fox TV. My boss man Rupert Murdoch is cool as he can be. He pays me piles of money for tilting to the right. And if you sound progressive, you’ll really get a fight.”
I’m biased, but it seems to me that some of my lyrics have stood the test of time. For instance:
DAN RATHER: “I like to tell the public how it pains me so -- to be more superficial and keep racking up the dough.”
COKIE ROBERTS: “Born and bred in the pundit patch, I utter easy notions with great dispatch. Every spectrum has a center, every player has a price. If you want to stick my neck out, I have to say no dice.”
BRIT HUME: “I love to tell you all the news on Fox TV. My boss man Rupert Murdoch is cool as he can be. He pays me piles of money for tilting to the right. And if you sound progressive, you’ll really get a fight.”
Weathervanes for the wrong direction
AUSTIN, Texas -- When in the midst of a Blame Typhoon, with
charges and counter-charges being hurled in all directions, I find it most
useful to consult those two polar stars of utter wrongheadedness, Tom DeLay
and The Wall Street Journal's editorial page.
Both good for a chuckle, and both perfect weathervanes for the wrong direction. When in doubt, Disagree with DeLay, And you'll be OK.
The Journal, in addition to meretricious arguments, vast leaps over relevant stretches of fact and history, and an awesome ability to bend any reality to its preconceived ideological ends, also offers that touch of (SET ITAL) je ne sais quoi, (END ITAL) that ludicrous dogmatism that never fails to charm.
Both good for a chuckle, and both perfect weathervanes for the wrong direction. When in doubt, Disagree with DeLay, And you'll be OK.
The Journal, in addition to meretricious arguments, vast leaps over relevant stretches of fact and history, and an awesome ability to bend any reality to its preconceived ideological ends, also offers that touch of (SET ITAL) je ne sais quoi, (END ITAL) that ludicrous dogmatism that never fails to charm.
Blackouts Happen-California Power Crisis Should Have Been A Warning Sign To U.S.
The California energy crisis should have been a warning to the White House. Opening up the electricity sector to competition may eventually provide consumers with cheaper power but it won't ensure a reliable flow of electricity unless the high-voltage transmission lines used by energy companies to send power to customers are upgraded.
But spending tens of billions of dollars to improve the country's electricity grid doesn't give publicly traded utilities that own the lines a return on the investment and will likely result in a lower rating from Wall Street analysts and even a lower valued stock. At least that's the story that's been told by energy company executives for nearly a decade.
But spending tens of billions of dollars to improve the country's electricity grid doesn't give publicly traded utilities that own the lines a return on the investment and will likely result in a lower rating from Wall Street analysts and even a lower valued stock. At least that's the story that's been told by energy company executives for nearly a decade.
Voting Machine Fiasco
SAIC, Bohemoth Military Contractor, Wants to Be inside Every Voting Machine; Three Way Scam on Diebold Review? Would you want them counting all the votes?
The voting machine wars are heating up and the implications of vote fraud in America are even more ominous.
Computer scientist Avi Rubin, whose Johns Hopkins University team found serious flaws in Diebold Election Systems software abruptly resigned from VoteHere, another election software company.
In a related story, on August 6th Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) gave a contract to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to review the Diebold Election System's software in preparation for elections in Maryland. The report is due in four weeks.
Avi Rubin announced today his resignation from VoteHere, an elections systems company. (Avi Rubin's statement) His statement reads: "Effective immediately, I am resigning from the Technical Advisory Board of VoteHere, and I am returning all stock options, which have never been exercised, and which are not entirely vested." Unexercised stock options may be the least of Rubin's problems.
The voting machine wars are heating up and the implications of vote fraud in America are even more ominous.
Computer scientist Avi Rubin, whose Johns Hopkins University team found serious flaws in Diebold Election Systems software abruptly resigned from VoteHere, another election software company.
In a related story, on August 6th Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) gave a contract to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to review the Diebold Election System's software in preparation for elections in Maryland. The report is due in four weeks.
Avi Rubin announced today his resignation from VoteHere, an elections systems company. (Avi Rubin's statement) His statement reads: "Effective immediately, I am resigning from the Technical Advisory Board of VoteHere, and I am returning all stock options, which have never been exercised, and which are not entirely vested." Unexercised stock options may be the least of Rubin's problems.
The All-American Blame Game!
AUSTIN, Texas -- It's the All-American Blame Game! A
Finger-Pointing festival. A perfectly circular firing squad of, "Told you
so." Bureaucrats perfecting their CYA moves. Politicians jumping on the
opportunity to make points against the other guys. And so's your old man.
U.S. officials quickly blamed a Canadian plant for touching off the mess. Mel Lastman, the clearly sleepless and exhausted mayor of Toronto, replied bitterly: "Tell me, have you ever heard the United States take blame for anything? This is no different."
It would be a refreshing change, would it not, if somebody just stood up and said, "My fault."
The early book has the great power outage of '03 beginning with FirstEnergy of Akron, Ohio.
But there has been no shortage of warnings that the grid was elderly, frail, inadequate, could short out, would short out, should short out at any time.
U.S. officials quickly blamed a Canadian plant for touching off the mess. Mel Lastman, the clearly sleepless and exhausted mayor of Toronto, replied bitterly: "Tell me, have you ever heard the United States take blame for anything? This is no different."
It would be a refreshing change, would it not, if somebody just stood up and said, "My fault."
The early book has the great power outage of '03 beginning with FirstEnergy of Akron, Ohio.
But there has been no shortage of warnings that the grid was elderly, frail, inadequate, could short out, would short out, should short out at any time.