That's Regrettable

Where's the UN investigation of Qaddafi's killings?

2011-10-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Apple Store "Invalid Address" message

2011-05-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was having the "invalid address" issue with the Apple Store as many people have been, but the fixes I found on the message boards didn't work because the billing address for my credit card (which must match for purchases to be approved by the bank) is for a bill payment service that I use (PayTrust) and this doesn't include a valid street address. I was able to get this to work by using the work-around below. I found the "New" address below was being used by one of my credit card issuers so I know that the bill payment will still get to PayTrust properly.

If your PayTrust Box # is 1234567, change the address to the new one as shown below

Old:
Your Name
BOX 1234567
Sioux Falls, SD 57186

New:
Your Name
1234567 METAVANTE WAY
SIOUX FALLS, SD 57186-0001

I don't know if the caps are necessary, but didn't want to spend any more time than I did figuring this out. Hopefully this might suggest fixes for those who are using APO or other correct mailing addresses that aren't a street address.

[PS note to Apple: thanks for the wasted hours]

My iPhone4 saga

2010-08-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

Below is the text of my response to a customer service satisfaction survey sent to me by Apple.

This comment is not directed at this support agent in particular, but to the support process in general.

I ordered a iPhone4 on the apple.com site on July 14 (order#omitted) and requested a new AT&T service with a number ported from my current cellular provider. 3 weeks later, just when the phone was ready to ship, I received an e-mail from Apple (below if there's sufficient room) indicating that there was a problem with the AT&T setup and a suggestion that I call AT&T to resolve this. I did so and after 30 minutes on the phone was told that AT&T did not see a “port request” from Apple (although they did have an account they could find using my SSN - a/c#omitted). They said I needed to call Apple and transferred me (to a wrong Apple Co. number in Canada).

I was transferred around by Apple for another 30 minutes. They could not see the AT&T problem, and would not/could not do anything about my order other than suggesting that a) I call AT&T or b) cancel the order and start over. I called AT&T again, and their customer service team conferenced me in with Apple (after again getting to a wrong group). After another 30 minutes Apple presented me with the option of starting over with no assurance that the process would work better the second time around. [The AT&T people surmised that because the phone was on back order that their porting system was canceling the port request after about 2 weeks; this was just a guess.] At the AT&T representative’s suggestion we attempted to escalate this to an Apple manager to see if a cancel and re-order did not result in another 3 week loop; this was strenuously resisted by the Apple service rep. Although the rep checked back with us several times, they manager never came on the line and we eventually hung up.

After all this, I canceled my online order and went to a local AT&T store and placed an order for the iPhone. Apparently it will arrive in a few weeks. I’m not sure I want the damn thing if this is the type of service I will get from Apple.

Long story short - this was very disappointing and frustrating. The only positive element was the mirth that this caused by all my nearby co-workers who got to witness this 90 minutes demonstration of your customer service.

Here is the full text of the e-mail I received:

Dear Apple Store Customer,

When preparing your iPhone for shipment, we encountered an issue completing the AT&T account set up and have placed your order on hold. This could be for a number of reasons, including:

- You have already purchased a phone or placed multiple orders for the same phone number. Each AT&T phone number is only eligible for one iPhone purchase at the quoted price.

- Your order may be on hold due to an issue with AT&T (for example your account may be past-due or suspended). Please call *PAY from your mobile phone to check your balance and pay your AT&T bill, visit www.att.com/wireless or contact AT&T at 800-331-0500 to resolve your issue.

If your issue is resolved, you should expect to receive a Shipment Notification email within 24 hours.

We will continue to attempt to complete your AT&T account set up for up to seven days. After seven days, we will cancel your order.

We would like to apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Sincerely,

The Apple Store Team

Moving on from Google

2009-10-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

In September, I changed my browser home page from Google to Bing on most of my computers. I was very disappointed by the lack of recognition on the Google.com page of the 9/11 anniversary, whereas Bing had a nice image.

This morning, one computer that I had not done this with showed a bar code on the Google.com home page to recognize the anniversary of invention of the bar code. I just changed this one to Bing.com too.

Democrats: We will move forward on health overhaul

2009-07-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Democrats: We will move forward on health overhaul: "WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats alone cannot pass President Barack Obama's ambitious overhaul of how Americans receive health care, a top lawmaker acknowledged on Sunday."

.... oh wait a minute, yes we can.

Obama Endures Ortega Diatribe - First 100 Days of Presidency - Politics FOXNews.com

2009-04-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

Obama Endures Ortega Diatribe - First 100 Days of Presidency - Politics FOXNews.com: "A senior administration official declined to criticize Ortega, saying the president wanted to focus on the future.

'His expectation is that these debates of the past can remain that, debates of the past and that the leaders can take advantage of this opportunity to focus on what they can do in the future to advance the interests of all the people of the hemisphere.'"

He is so over his head.

That's not irony, that's the way philanthropy works.

2008-12-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

"It's very ironic that the very wealthiest in the country can have such a severe impact on kids on the low end of the totem pole," said Mark Steward, whose Missouri Youth Services Institute has relied on funding from the Levy family to help improve juvenile detention centers in Santa Clara County, California, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere."

The Seattle Times: Local News: No rebate from monorail project

2006-12-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

"No rebate from monorail project"

Yeah, well thank you too.

From left to libertarian

2006-09-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Some good stuff here: http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=092806A

(h/t http://divisionoflabour.com/)

Surge in Anti-Muslim Incidents Reported - washingtonpost.com

2006-09-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

"In an effort to combat ignorance about the faith, CAIR began offering free copies of the Koran and copies of a PBS documentary about the prophet Muhammad this year after the Danish cartoon controversy. The group said yesterday that 30,000 copies of the Koran and 14,500 copies of the documentary have been requested."

Since CAIR is so generously offering to share... why don't we get about a million people to take them up on their offer and then toss it in our garbage and recycling bins. We'll at least force them to spend their money on something other than promoting their evil cause.

PI: Was 9/11 an 'inside job'?

2006-08-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

"Was 9/11 an 'inside job'?" asks the Seattle "Intelligent as a Post" on the front page.

Nice survey question: Thirty-six percent of respondents overall said it is "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that federal officials either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon or took no action to stop them "because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East."

But how good can the data be if only "[s]eventy percent of people who give credence to these theories also say they've become angrier with the federal government than they used to be." What does it take to make some people angry?

The Seattle Times: We're searching for better ways to connect advertisers, readers

2006-07-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

The column (link above) stirred some thoughts about how the Seattle Times can snatch victory from the jaws of it’s impending defeat, so wrote Mr. Francer the following note.

Mr. Francer - I read your column this morning and felt that I should toss you my 2 bits.

I live in Seattle and am a true native (only having lived 2 years outside the Seattle/Bellevue area). I am an avid consumer of online media, at work and play. I have at least three paid subscriptions to online media services, one of which is the Wall Street Journal Online.

Approximately 8 years ago I cancelled my Seattle Times subscription because the stacks of unread newspapers piled up faster than I could recycle them. About the same time I started subscribing to the WSJ Online and about 6 years ago I stopped my subscription to the print version of the WSJ, which I had taken for about 15 years. Now, the only print subscriptions I maintain are a couple of magazines: MIT Technology Review and Wired. However, I still read (to this day) the Seattle Times via the paper’s website. I also periodically “hit the tip jar” of blogs that I regularly read to support their authors.
I just wanted to share this background info so you have some context for my comments below about your paper. As I no longer read the print copy of your paper (and can imagine no reason that will ever change this), and I don’t even see your online ads (see below), the aim of your column missed me by a mile. However, the column did bring some of the business issues faced by the Times to my mind.
In the past, the online advertising methods used on the Times site were so invasive that I was encouraged to explore ad blocking technology. I now have a couple of methods that effectively suppress all advertising from the Seattle Times website. Since I understand that widespread use of tactics like this could force dramatic changes in the Times’ business model, I do feel some pangs of guilt. However, these pangs generally disappear when I consider the poor quality of the product delivered by the Times.

Because of my ad blocking practices and the fact that I’m no longer a subscriber to the paper, the viewpoints I share below may be irrelevant to you. However, I do think I am part of a market segment that is growing and the Times may not want to miss people like me altogether.

To bring me back to a state of mind where I would be willing to “pay” for the Times (either via an online subscription, “tip jar” or voluntarily reading your ads) I'd like to see progress on the following:

1. Get more conservatives on the paper. This comment isn't about politics, and I know that Seattle is a major "D" city. However, the fact that almost all of your reporters lean to the "D" side is apparent and it leads to a sloppy product, where left-leaning ideological phrases and ideas are unintentionally presented without challenge. Unless conservatives are included at the top levels of your staff, you guys will never even see the liberal philosophy that pervades the paper. It shows up in the topics that are chosen for articles, in the premises and phrases that are challenged, and in the premises and phrases that go unchallenged. There’s no need to get defensive or quote statistics to the contrary – to those of us that lean conservative, the liberal viewpoint is self-evident in your product; and there’s no way to fix this until you get strongly diversified opinions at the top. Again, to be clear, it is not because that I find the liberal ideas offensive that I’m pointing this out, it is that your product is harmed because your staff lacks diversity. Your work product suffers from the absence of intellectual or philosophical vetting.

2. Get more people with real world experience on staff. I know most papers are staffed by journalism majors... and even if they've reported on a particular subject for many years, reporters have journalism skills first - they’re not topical experts. However, the emergence of blogging has made it clear that there are plenty of people out there who can write and who are experts on a myriad of subjects. The Times’ naive reporting loses a ton of credibility with your readers that know something about the topic at hand. As an example, if you ask business leaders about their opinion of the Seattle Times, you’ll find it is rather low because they see for themselves the sloppy reporting on business topics with which they are personally involved. And when they think about it, if the paper is so sloppy on the topics they knows something about, they start to wonder about the substance on other subjects as well The lack of credibility becomes contagious. If you don’t address this, you may eventually limit your readership to people that don’t know enough about anything to have this reaction… hardly the readership that you’d like to pitch your advertisers: “Our Readers Are Dumb… maybe they’ll buy your product!”

3. Related to the above, why don’t you cast a wider net for material? One example: A couple of years ago (I forget when exactly), I suggested the Times consider contacting a guy by the name of Michael Yon who was doing original reporting from Iraq. Again, this suggestion was not about politics, although he’s been very supportive of the troops in Iraq, but he was getting great photographs and stories which gave a very different perspective on Iraq than what you see from the wire services favored by the Times. He’s blossomed into a media success: http://www.michaelyon-online.com/ and meanwhile the Times' Iraq coverage is the bland stuff put out by the AP. I don’t know enough about the newspaper business to know all the ways new sources of content like this could fit in, or the challenges in doing so, but the fact that you have professional editorial staff could help you polish up the material from these non-traditional sources so it would be appropriately "Times-like" for your online and off-line consumers.

4. Aggressively segment your online readership (using technology) and advertise to these segments in a way they can appreciate. As I mentioned above, I read MIT Technology Review and Wired magazine, both of which include advertisements that I read with interest. The same is true on many online sites. So despite my practice of avoiding the ads on the Times’ site, it is because I dislike the format of the ads and am uninterested in the content of the ads on your site. Seems there must be a way to create a better online experience so you don’t lose more consumers to ad blocking technology (a real threat in the technologically savvy region of the Northwest). Also by market segmentation, you could create separate brands which might have value on their own.

Well, if you’ve read this far, you’ve probably had enough. So, I’ll conclude with:

I think that Seattle is going to continue to flourish. With intellectual-property driven businesses dominating the landscape, and with the added draw that will come from the philanthropic magnet of the Gates Foundation, I think the Seattle Times is as well-placed as any major market paper could hope. However, if the paper does not revolutionize the way the paper is produced – in terms of content and in form – it will die a slow death as the consumers continue to move away the one-run-a-day print media.

But feel free to discount my comments; I’m not a journalism expert, I just play one on TV.

How Not to Get Gizmodo to Help You Do Your Job

2006-07-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Funny as hell... and my fisking below.

Just What I Needed: A Flamboyant Geek Techie with an Attitude

Please remind me to never come near a geek techie again.

The infamous blog, Gizmodo, is trying to trash me in the realm where they should only belong to, cyber world, I never knew that asking a geek for images and product names could be an insult. Anyways, it seems that ticked them off, which opens the window of opportunity for the nasty bitch in me to come out.

Uh, you’re publishing a blog and feel that only Gizmodo belongs in the “cyber world” “realm”? How do you think anyone could read your blog if it were not for your readers perusing the cyber world? Unless you are talking to yourself… nasty bitch (do you mind if I refer to you the same way you do to yourself). None of this strikes you as strange?

You kindly acknowledge their existence, and that they might be once useful, after suffering so much in their child life as boxing pads and stand-up comedy material, and this is what happens, they totally direct all their frustrations in ther lives at themselves at a tech-challenged person as myself. And they still seriously believe that they can have their day by trying to trash me online, but it all fires back at them, blown in their faces, as they finally realize that I'm just laughing it off, posting such an incident on my blog, giving them a link, providing them with pathetic entertainment online and finally pointing a middle finger in their faces.

That Gizmodo needs some kid in Jordan (too lazy to do his own job) to acknowledge their existence is the part that is laughable. They have a daily readership of more than 350,000. You link to Technorati from your blog and they kindly provide some perspective: Gizmodo is ranked #10, your site is ranked #206,124. Methinks the word you meant in your first paragraph is “famous” (Well or widely known), not “infamous” (Having an exceedingly bad reputation). Maybe a dictionary would help.

Plus, it’s obvious how you are “laughing” this “incident” off all the while making rude gestures and writing about this “incident” on your blog. The “comedy” and “frustration” is all in the mirror and you just don’t get it. Hey, you’re right – that is funny!

Did those losers really think that they can get to me? Again, there's no such thing as bad publicity!

UPDATE: My blog got flooded by spam mail, so I shut down the comments. Will be happy to post them later on, I really would love to share their bad sense of humor with you guys. What a bunch of drama queens.

Well, hello! Bad publicity does have its downside. It’s all “firing back” at you now.

With all this free publicity, you might also find out the answer to your earlier wish about your new job: “I really hope that I don't screw this up, I hope that the Venture editors see the good in me, if that side ever exists.”

Postman on Politics: Cantwell Can't

2006-07-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

I've taken a few good-natured jabs at David Postman's blog, mostly because I thinks it's apparent that he's got liberal views and is trying to pretend he's somewhere in the middle. Actually, he's smart and pretty moderate for someone with the Seattle Times, so I hope his blog is successful. He's obviously new to blogging, but again, he's making a real attempt and is willing to admit mistakes, make corrections and have two-way conversations - I think this is atypical for a blogger with a major public newspaper (albeit I haven't attempted to research this point).

My remarks at Postman's blog on Cantwell and Social Security are a not a reflection of my own partisanship, but of my jaw-dropping reaction to Cantwell's inane "Securing our Senior's Retirement" section on her election website. Accompanying a picture of Cantwell eating Fig Newton's with an elderly couple (really), is a bunch of blather about things she's against (she's against Enron!) and her support of a way to increase the benefits Social Security provides to seniors. As Postman points out, Cantwell does not have a way to pay for this increase in benefits - but Postman doesn't point out that our Senator is essentially lying to the seniors she's claiming to support. If there is no funding for her proposal, the legislation will not be enacted and she knows it... Postman knows it too. As with many Americans, I'm tired of politicians (of all colors) making statements that they know are untrue and the MSM just letting the statements pass. Bloggers generally won't get away with this behavior and I'm hoping Mr. Postman's learn that.

The Ultimate pro-WalMart Article

2006-06-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

Mises Institute: "The Ultimate pro-WalMart Article by Paul Kirklin "

Good read. H/T Palousitics

Mankiw's 10 Principles of Economics

2006-06-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Going back to my Econ 101 post below, I wish I had been able to point out this resource to my acquaintance. It's a very good primer on economic theory.

"Divisive" politics prompt King County elections chief to leave for new job

2006-06-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: "A spokesman for Sims said Logan was meeting with Los Angeles election officials in that city at the time of a June 5 council meeting. Election officials last week said Logan had missed the meeting because he was at a conference of state election officials in Spokane. He later acknowledged he had been on vacation until the Tuesday meeting in Spokane, but he declined to discuss the nature of his vacation." (emphasis mine)

From Sims' statement: "We have already begun the search for Dean's replacement but I have every confidence that our Elections team will step up once again in the primary and general elections and deliver fair, accurate and transparent results." (emphasis mine).

There's no reason to expect the King County Elections Department to become fair, accurate and transparent any time soon (the fish rots from the head, after all). They can't even tell the truth about where there boss is when he's ~~interviewing for a new job~~ on vacation.

Quiet roadways in our future?

2006-06-12T11:09:00.001-07:00

Seattle Times: Quieter I-5 asphalt to be tested: "'Living next to a roadway can be loud, especially when there are a lot of trucks out there,' Mia Waters, acoustics program manager for Transportation Department, told The Herald. 'We're looking for safe, cost-effective ways to create a better environment for people who live next to those roadways... The problem is past versions of the quieter asphalt haven't held up to Washington state's wet weather, cold temperatures, and, worst of all, drivers using studded tires. Waters said the hope is that the newer, improved surfaces will hold together longer."

I assume that the property owners next to the freeway will pay any cost differential between the regular asphalt and the acoustically-friendly pavement. And, I mean over the life of the road surface. Otherwise, this seems rather unfair to the rest of the taxpayers of Washington State, don't ya think? If you buy a house next to the friggin' freeway, you'd better expect some noise.

And why do we need an acoustics program and a acoustics program manager? Hey, Mrs. Gregoire - during your campaign we asked you how to make state government more efficient, and you couldn't give us a single example - I found one!

Seattle Times: New UW graduate's past casts cloud over his future

2006-06-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

"Even when he lived alone, Wang said, he never considered returning to Taiwan."

Guess he'd better now.

Econ 101

2006-05-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

I attempted to help an acquaintance understand the futility of a boycott to force oil companies to cut gasoline prices. OK, I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to help, but was hoping that pointing her to an independent source like Snopes.com would have more success in getting her to understand the economics of the issue that I would have on my own.

After getting a liberal rant in response (not really a surprise), I realized that I couldn’t even have a conversation with someone who’s never had Econ 101. Scary thought that most policy makers probably aren’t any more well educated in economics than my liberal friend (although I’m cynical enough to believe that most politicians understand economics just fine and they are pandering to a voter base that doesn’t).

Anyway, if you can get through Econ 101, and want to understand political economics a bit more, below are a few really good books I’ve read over the past couple of years. I especially think de Soto’s book describes a breakthrough in thinking and is the foundation for many of the results described in the Friedman book.

The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else; Hernando de Soto

Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything; Steven Levitt, Stephen Dubner

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century; Thomas Friedman

Basic Economics: A Citizens Guide to the Economy, Revised and Expanded; Thomas Sowell

Seattle Times: Is ecosabotage terrorism?

2006-05-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

Front page of the Times asks the obvious. So obvious, there's no reason to buy the paper to read the rest (that's why I don't).

Per Wikipedia: The term terrorism is used to refer to acts of violence, or the threat of violence carried out for political motives by organisations/individuals who are not recognised as organs of the legitimate state within a given territory nor officially at war with that territory.

VOLPAC

2006-03-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Bill.

HoustonChronicle.com - Text of Democratic response by Sen. Maria Cantwell

2005-10-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

HoustonChronicle.com - Text of Democratic response by Sen. Maria Cantwell: "In the short-term, we must protect consumers from price gouging."

What an idiot.

Cruising to disaster

2005-09-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

"Carnival Cruise Lines said Wednesday the federal government has asked whether its cruise ships could be used as emergency shelters or help Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in some other way. The world's largest cruise line said that although "to undertake such an endeavor would involve many complicated issues, we are actively taking a look at it." "

Since Justice Souter, et. al., permit the claim of eminent domain even to support economic development... maybe "W" should just commandeer the boats he needs. The Supreme Court won't stop him.

9,800 marijuana plants seized in Yakima, Chelan counties

2005-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

Explaining what information lead to the drug bust, Sherriff Harum remarked, "well, we just followed these six hippies in a van heading home from Hempfest."

Sen. John Kerry forgets where he works

2005-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Kerry blusters, "'The states are now the laboratories, much more than before, because of the refusal of Washington to do what's important and necessary. You're forced to spend too much time cleaning up what Washington either messes up or leaves undone altogether.'" (emphasis mine)

Uh, Senator? Don't you work in Washington?

Update: link is now inactive, sorry

Twins knock around Franklin, M's lose 7-3

2005-08-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

"Franklin allowed 11 hits and five earned runs in six innings, striking out four and walking none. Last Friday, he allowed a career-high eight earned runs and 12 hits against Los Angeles."

Can't this guy go ruin someone else's day?

No treats for you tonight!

2005-08-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

"A police dog was unable to find the man."

Sure, blame it on the dog.

Howard Faces the Nation

2005-08-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

"... as of today it looks like women will be worse off in Iraq than they were when Saddam Hussein was president of Iraq."

Not only is the good doctor a racist , he's an idiot too.

Seattle one of nation's most liberal cities

2005-08-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

This is news?

"Reds comfort stricken man's grandson"

2005-08-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

A bittersweet story. Good job Junior.

Who's Paying for Our Patriotism?

2005-08-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

Who's Paying for Our Patriotism? Who, Prof. Reinhardt?

Yes, your son and his comrades in our armed forces are making sacrifices far beyond most of us. And I sympathize with your personal struggle to understand your son's decision to enlist; however it is a decision to respect, support and honor. Perhaps if you take a step or two back to gain some perspective, you might understand him better.

Let me take you back to Princeton's Class Day in 1995, where a teacher made a thoughtful, humorous, and in hindsight, prescient appeal to the outgoing graduates, which included the following observations,

"Your World War may not be inter-national; it may be intra-national, like scenes from The Mad Max.
How will you cope with this troublesome legacy? I hope you will do better, much better, than my own generation did and does. I do not wish to alarm you unduly. None of the problems I alluded to are beyond resolution by a people with vision, courage and imagination, and this country traditionally has had these, when seriously challenged.

And what does that vision entail? Well, some time ago I asked a rabbi who struck me as very wise what makes for a strong, vibrant and lasting culture, such as his own. He told me that it is quite simple, really:

A culture will be vibrant, strong and lasting if every decision a generation faces is washed by one fundamental question: What will it do to or for our grandchildren?

Always remember the words of that wise rabbi, my friends. Take a very long run view. In the conduct of your generation's affairs, think about your grandchildren, always. Thus you will do well by your own family, by your own country, and by the world we all share.

(Emphasis in original)

As this teacher's wise rabbi pointed out, a long-term perspective is needed in order to understand the conduct of the current generation - and you should trust that your son's decision will leave the next generation better off.

In fact, perhaps you should give that wise rabbi a call - after all, it was you that made this very eloquent speech just ten years ago.

We are a country that has been seriously challenged -- as you feared. And, the hope that you wished for the class of '95 has been realized: our country has shown that it is filled by "a people with vision, courage and imagination;" people like your son, who have sacraficed much in order to give the next generation a chance at a better world. God bless him and those who have served.

Bolton as damaged goods

2005-07-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

"Dodd: Bolton lacks support for U.N. post"

I'll leave aside the issue of whether anyone cares what Sen. Chris " Privacy Clause" Dodd thinks about soon-to-be U.N. Ambassador Bolton, but why aren't the barking moonbats catching onto the latest Republican plot? Our resident movie critic wades right in:

In this classic action thriller (starring Bolton as Detective Harry Callahan: Dirty Harry (1971) ), Police Captain BushRove sends Det. Bolton, with guns a-blazin', to clean up the U.N. neighborhood.

WARNING, SPOILER FOLLOWS...

The film was made with two endings: in the first, less-nuanced version, gang-leader Kofi Annan, realizing he's met his match, gets his sorry a** out of town, vindicating Bolton's selection. This version is expected to be a huge hit in red states.

In the second more violent version, "Dirty Harry" Bolton blows away a few of the bad guys but then is portrayed as an unyielding vigilante who has overstayed his welcome. Since it was a recess appointment to begin with, BushRove lets Bolton's term expire with the current Congress. Blue state viewers will enjoy this plot twist and leave the theater goers feeling vindicated.

No matter which version you see - you are in for a treat!

Japanese Female Android Exposed

2005-07-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

Ha! Made ya look.

"U.S. Muslim scholars issue edict on terror"

2005-07-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

"(The edict from) the 18-member Fiqh Council of North America said Muslims were barred from helping 'any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence.' "

1,416 days after 9/11? Well, better late than never, I guess.

Good news on education.

2005-07-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

"The National Assessment of Educational Progress has been periodically testing a representative sample of 9-, 13- and 17-year-olds since the early 1970s. This year's report contained two striking results. The first is that America's nine-year-olds posted their best scores in reading and maths since the tests were introduced (in 1971 in reading and 1973 in maths). The second is that the gap between white students and minorities is narrowing. The nine-year-olds who made the biggest gains of all were blacks, traditionally the most educationally deprived group in American society."

Aside from the fight over who gets credit, NCLB or the NEA...
this is flat-out good news.

AIDES' HILL OF A RAI$E

2005-07-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

"Clinton has taken the highly unusual step of supplementing the salary of six full-time Senate staffers with money from both her re-election committee and her political action committee, HillPAC, a Post study has found."

Although I squirm about the appropriateness, I don't necessarily think Senate staff should be prohibited from having other sources of income like those mentioned. I do think that these payments should be fully disclosed to the public and the article implies that this is not required. In the financial service industry it is common practice that employees need to disclose and get prior approval from management before accepting income from another employer. The public employs these staffers and should receive the same type of disclosure.

Ressam scheduled to be sentenced this morning

2005-07-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

"Ressam offered the full or partial identities of more than 120 people he met as he embraced a militant Islamic jihad against the West."

I think we should just release him into the custody of someone like the Taliban or Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. Let's see how much they appreciate his cooperation with U.S. authorities.

Blasts kill 50 in Egyptian Red Sea resort

2005-07-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

"Egypt's tourism minister worried that the attacks would hit the $6.6 billion tourism industry, the country's biggest private sector employer, in the short term."

Tap tap tap. Oh, is this on? Ahem. My government and I wish to express our condolences to the families of those killed and injured in this vile act of cowardness. We stand steadfast alongside our allies, Britain and the United States, and vow to hunt down those responsible for this dispicable act.... Did you get all that? OK. Now where's that ham sandwich?

Monorail agency to lay off 30 percent of its staff

2005-07-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's progress... only 70% more to go!

John Kerry must be spinning in his grave

2005-07-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Jobless claims decline sharply--headline Baltimore Sun online 7/21

"The Labor Department reported that new benefit claims dropped by 34,000 to a new total of 303,000 as the labor market continued to signal strength.... The strong economic growth this year has helped to boost job creation. The nation's unemployment rate has fallen to 5 percent, the lowest point in nearly four years."

Looney Toons at Horsesass.org

2005-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across these guys when looking up some stuff on McGavick. After reading this posting by Roger Rabit (link above), I had to post a reply:

Roger - As noted by Former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan, “you are entitled to your own opinion, but not to your own facts.” There is no factual basis for your comment that McGavick “screwed” Safeco shareholders, in fact, both the stock and company have performed very well under his stewardship.

McGavick joined Safeco in January 2001 when Safeco’s stock was around $25 per share. It’s now around $56 per share, so Safeco’s stock has appreciated around 124% in four and a half years. The S&P 500 Index is down 10.6% during the same period.

He was brought in to straighten up a very troubled company which was losing money. He cleaned house (and the company really had a bunch of deadwood) and turned the company around. After reporting a loss (due to the restructuring) in 2001 of $0.72 per share, Safeco made money in each of the subsequent years: $2.15/sh in 2002, $2.91 in 2003, $4.22 in 2004, and analysts estimate that they will hit $5.24/sh in 2005.

I don’t know if his track record at Safeco is enough to justify your support for his candidacy, but I do think you should base your decision (and comments) on accurate information.

Almost Best of the Web

2005-07-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Since the James Taranto (editor of the WSJ's Best of the Web) is on vacation, I thought I'd post my own dumbed down version. These are based on submissions I made before realizing James was out.... his editing is sorely missed.

U.S. Army visits German, Part III
"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." GW Bush 9/20/01

"Al-Qaeda suspect to be freed after German court ruling"--headline, Times Online July 18

Shocker: bigger is better
"Bigger earners have bigger sex drives!"--headline, HindustanTimes.com, July 18

Essay: What I did on summer break.
"Vacationers watch gas pump"--headline, MailTribune.com, July 18

Gitmo claims another victim
"Rare white alligator in legal limbo"--headline, Nola.com, July 18
(short registration may be required)

Protesters chant "Patty Murray Go Home"
"Bag with worn shoe causes panic in Yemen"--headline, Webindia123.com, July 18

But, I suppose you knew this already
"Being smart no guarantee to happiness in old age"--headline, Reuters.com, July 18

A coroner who collects hands? That is sick.
"Friends give sick coroner a hand"--headline, The Olympian, July 18

Hillary's worst nightmare.
" '99 fraternity sex case has senator on defensive"--headline, Miami Herald, July 18

The Supreme Court and Foreign Law

2005-07-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Bench Memos on NRO: "In recent years, six justices of the Supreme Court have relied on foreign and international legal decisions and other legal materials to construe the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. "

Edward Whelan makes a good point. Seems to me that this would be a valid "litmus test" for SCOTUS nominees. If the Constitution is silent, then it's up to us (as in "We the People") to amend the Constitution - not a bunch of old guys (and gals) in robes.

The Seattle Times: Safeco early earnings announcement fuels speculation on McGavick

2005-07-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

Senator McGavick? He did announce his retirement.

City Council approves help for sex workers

2005-07-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

"Money to help sex-trade workers kick drug habits and re-evaluate their lifestyles was approved this week by the City Council. As much as $30,000 will be provided this year...."

Your tax dollars hard at work.

OpinionJournal - John Fund on the Trail

2005-07-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

"Property Rights Are Civil Rights "

Great points. On a similar tangent, here's a great book that explores "Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else" as the subtitle reads.
Find it at Amazon: The Mystery of Capital, by Hernando de Soto

Egypt to cut Iraq mission staff

2005-07-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

"We're taking this step basically to protect mission staff," Ahmed Aboul Gheit told journalists in Cairo....

Cairo is ~~an ally of the US and Iraqi governments~~ capitulating to the terrorists.

You want to protect your staff? Try sending some soldiers next time.

Liberals "celebrate" America

2005-07-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Molly Ivins:
Celebrating what makes America peculiar

"And here's to all the angry liberals and to all the angry conservatives -- take the day off, and enjoy the hot dogs and the fireworks. And try to remember when we come back to normal partisan warfare that all of us do, actually, love this ridiculous, wonderful place."

Article here (registration required)

When Molly wrote these "generous" words, she must not have been talking about this guy...

Howard Zinn:
Put away the flags

"As our armies were committing massacres in the Philippines (at least 600,000 Filipinos died in a few years of conflict), Elihu Root, our secretary of war, was saying: "The American soldier is different from all other soldiers of all other countries since the war began.

...

We see in Iraq that our soldiers are no different. They have, perhaps against their better nature, killed thousands of Iraqi civilians. And some soldiers have shown themselves capable of brutality, of torture.

...

We need to refute the idea that our nation is different from, morally superior to, the other imperial powers of world history. We need to assert our allegiance to the human race and not to any one nation. "

Howard Zinn is the author of "A People's History of the United States."

Article here

Seattle PI - Welcome to the cause.

2005-06-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

Seattle Monorail: Hard question (sic) time.
[well, they ask 2 questions]

"It's time to ask the essential question that must be answered to the satisfaction of the people of Seattle and their elected representatives on the City Council: Is this the project we wanted, and can we afford it?"

No and No. Welcome to the cause: Die Monorail Die.

She ain't got no principals - part 1

2005-06-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

Congress Again Debates Protecting the Flag - New York Times (registration required): "A few Democratic senators remain uncommitted, including Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York... 'I'm studying the issue,' she said."

Respect for the Republic vs. Freedom of Speech: This is pretty basic stuff. Personally, I think you can have a principled stand on either side of this one, but Hillary must be waiting for a new public opinion poll to tell her what she believes.

Monorail assumptions don't add up

2005-06-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

I have been skeptical about the ridership projections of the proposed Monorail (among other things) so I've spent a little time looking through the newly-released documents to better understand how they came up with their rosy projections.

One table of information looked odd to me, the estimated travel times (below). As a former bus-rider from the Queen Anne area, and now a resident of Magnolia, I think few people currently commuting by car will begin taking the Monorail instead. I do think it's possible that some bus riders will take the Monorail, however when I look at these estimated times, I wonder if the Monorail's ridership projections are a factor of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). Source: ftp://www.elevated.org/contract/cash_flow_forecast/Cambridge_FinalReport_May2005.pdf

Let's look at the first Sample Trip in the table (click to enlarge). My morning commute by car from Magnolia to the southern edge of downtown is consistently around 15 minutes door to door... so I think the Auto Time estimate of 20.49 minutes for Ballard to Downtown shown on this table is accurate for the AM Peak period. However, I was pretty surprised to see that Other Transit Time is estimated at 57.76 minutes for the same Sample Trip.

To look at the reasonableness of this estimate, I used a handy online tool that allows you to plan a trip itinerary via local mass transit (http://tripplanner.metrokc.gov). According to this tool, a bus ride on Route 15 Express would take 17 minutes to get someone from Ballard (15^th NW and NW Market) to Downtown (1^st and Pike) during the morning commute. I selected these particular intersections because they are close to where the proposed Monorail stations will be built.

57 minutes vs. 17 minutes is a pretty big difference, and this difference flips the travel time assumptions on their head. The Monorail would take 10 minutes longer than a bus ride. What bus rider would switch - am I missing something here?

Professors get rare look at life in North Korea

2005-06-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

"Even before they arrived, participants received a note saying that no criticism of the North Korean political system or the economy would be allowed.

The group toned down its original conference agenda. They considered it too risky to discuss the topic of regime change in North Korea and instead began with a discussion of how the U.S. war on terrorism has affected policy in Asia."

"Yes - you may visit our country to see how wonderful it is... just don't tell anyone it isn't wonderful. You are especially welcome to use this opportunity to spout your anti-American opinions." Nice use of taxpayer money, professors. And Christine wants to raise UW tuition to keep guys like you on staff!?

Filiblustering?

2005-05-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

"Restricting the ability of Democrats to block final votes on several of Bush's most controversial nominees 'would be particularly offensive to people of color,' members of the Congressional Black Caucus wrote Majority Leader Bill Frist during the day. 'All of the major legislation that today bars racial discrimination in voting, employment and housing was passed after filibusters' were broken, it said."

I don't know who should be more embarassed, the Congressional Black Caucus for saying it, or AP for printing it; it's outright nonsense on it's face.

For those logic-challenged: if filibusters were used to prevent the end of racial discrimination, then wouldn't it be good for 'people of color' to limit the use of filibusters?

Oddly Enough!

2005-04-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

The guy jumps off the bridge twice and then the police shot him?
Is this Seattle's version of government-assisted suicide?

This is ridiculous!

2005-04-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

"Based on the district's earlier cost estimates, the permanent shuttering of 10 school buildings could translate into nearly $4 million in savings annually, including the loss of about 40 jobs."

Pardon the language, but please explain this f*cking math to me. You close 10 schools and only cut 40 jobs!? Who's in those buildings, elves? Now, it's possible that all of these employees will be reassigned to boost the quality of our school system and.... ha ha ha ha. Sorry.

I'm getting sick and tired of the unions and their minons in Seattle messing with our kids lives. I'm awfully lucky that my parents have offered to pay for private schools for my kids, but I think it's a disaster and we've got to do a better job for most people who can't afford $15k per year for kindergarten (blush).

My friends and acquantances who have been actively involved in the public school system (in the for-profit, non-profit and public sectors) think the Seattle school district may be beyond repair. I don't know how this city can afford that.

Roger L. Simon: Your Foreign Relations Committee at work!

2005-04-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

"Your Foreign Relations Committee at work! "

Great job Roger.

Chasing her through the halls

2005-04-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

"Melody Townsel, alleged that John Bolton chased her through the halls of a Moscow hotel throwing objects and screaming threats at her in August 1994"

So what? Are we afraid he's going to chase Kofi Annan through the halls of the U.N.? Maybe this is Bush's clever way of trying to speed up Kofi's departure.

Seattle Monorail to practice abstinence?

2005-04-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Notable quote from Monorail board member, Cindi Laws,
"There is no contraception in place."

Well, then abstinence is the perfect solution.
Don't build the damn thing!

April Fool's #1

2005-04-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

Kinda cute, but not fantastically funny.

Othello Park shooting

2005-03-29T07:47:00.000-08:00

I'm certainly not a critic of the Seattle Police. However, here's two tidbits from the Times:

"Jason Lee Jennings, 22, died of a gunshot wound to the head at Othello Playground... between 7 and 7:30 p.m. March 12."

"Bailey said a patrol officer had walked through the park less than an hour before the shooting. "The only thing they saw was a lot of people playing basketball," he said."

According to the Parks and Recreation Website, the hours for Othello Park are: "10 a.m. - 6 p.m."

If that is the case, then why would an officer walking through the park "less than an hour before the shooting" not have asked the "people playing basketball" to leave?

Hat tip: Sound Politics

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

2005-03-27T17:24:00.000-08:00

“Kofi Annan is going to find his position increasingly untenable,” said Nile Gardiner, an expert on the UN at the conservative Heritage Foundation. “There is a strong possibility he will resign voluntarily because of his declining credibility.”

Hat tip: Drudge Report.

Hey, I was wondering where that went!

2005-03-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Sales drop at Wendy's after finger found.

"Capt. Bob Dixon of the Santa Clara County coroner's office said he did not know when their fingerprint expert might have a match. 'Nobody's claimed it yet,' he said."

Generic Protesters

2005-03-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

“I was walking through the Dallas airport with some colleagues and one of them recognized two of the same protestors we had seen outside the event in Albuquerque. We had some extra time, so we decided to talk to them.... One of them very quickly identified themselves as professional protestors. Not that they just liked to protest, but that they actually got paid by liberal interest groups to travel the country protesting.... They even admitted they didn’t know who it was they were going to protest in New Orleans.”

This is pretty funny. I wish I was better at Photoshop so I could post pictures of these generic protesters at various venues.

My answer to Castro's question

2005-03-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

"'Do they think I am (former Zairian President) Mobutu (Sese Seko) or one of the many millionaires, those thieves and plunderers, that the empire has suckled and protected?' he said in reference to his capitalist archenemy, the United States."

Uh... yes we do. He was just a better dresser.

The U.S. Constitution vs. the FEC

2005-03-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Oh, and by the way, Senators McCain and Feingold, the right to bear arms so we can defend our freedoms is in the document too. You should read it.

Take the pledge: Patterico's Pledge

The Seattle Times: Bulldozer firm sued in student protester's death

2005-03-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

The parents of Rachel Corrie, who was killed while protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home, are suing Caterpillar, the company that made the bulldozer involved in her death.

Her parents aparently want to ensure that Rachel is remembered for the idiot she was. A 120 pound, twenty-four year old woman vs. a 26 foot long, 13 feet high, 64 ton armored bulldozer -- who says the theory of natural selection doesn't work?

The State of the News Media 2004

2005-03-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

"In that regard, the poll finds that many journalists - especially those in the national media - believe that the press has not been critical enough of President Bush. Majorities of print and broadcast journalists at national news organizations believe the press has been insufficiently critical of the administration. Many local print journalists concur. This is a minority opinion only among local news executives and broadcast journalists. While the press gives itself about the same overall grade for its coverage of George W. Bush as it did nine years ago for its coverage of Bill Clinton (B- among national journalists, C+ from local journalists), the criticism in 1995 was that the press was focusing too much on Clinton's problems, and too little on his achievements."

Some interesting facts in this survey - and plenty of fodder for those who point out the liberal bias of the press.

Daniel Schorr gets it right?

2005-03-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

March 4, Christian Science Monitor: "The movements for democratic change in Egypt and Lebanon have happened since the successful Iraqi election on Jan. 30. And one can speculate on whether Iraq has served as a beacon for democratic change in the Middle East.

During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, President Bush said that 'a liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region.'

He may have had it right."

Gee Daniel, ya think? Here's what you said a couple of years ago:

"With a history of monarchs and dictators, Iraq has never really known democracy. Schorr says establishing democracy in a liberated Iraq will be a difficult, uncertain process. NPR/March 3, 2003,

and

Schorr says that the end of the U.N. diplomatic process demonstrates an erosion of the democratic principles the Bush administration says it's working to uphold. NPR/March 17, 2003"

My pants are on fire!

2005-03-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

"So now my pants are burning, I can't breathe and I think, 'Now I'm having a heart attack.'

"I'm jumping around like a frog, with one hand down my pants, trying to pull the wad of money from my skin because it's burning, and with the other hand, I'm trying to unbuckle my belt," Diwan said."

I'm very sorry for Mr. Diwan's pain and embarassment, but this scene is pretty darn funny to imagine.

Democratic Revolution spreads (follow link)

2005-03-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

Mudville Gazette

"V" for victory... thanks to "W"
and a lot of courageous soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Michael Ledeen on National Review Online

2005-03-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Michael Ledeen on National Review Online: "The president clearly understands (that we must support the Arab democratic revolutions), but, in one of the most frustrating paradoxes of the moment, this vision is rather more popular among the peoples of the Middle East than among some of our top policymakers. For anyone to suggest to this president at this dramatic moment, that he should offer a reward to Iran for promising not to build atomic bombs, or that we should seek a diplomatic 'solution' to Syria's oft-demonstrated role in the terror war against our friends and our soldiers, is a betrayal of his vision and of the Iranian, Israeli, Lebanese and Syrian people. Yet that sort of reactionary thinking is surprisingly widespread, from leading members of congressional committees, from the failed 'experts' at State and CIA, and even some on the staff of the National Security Council."

I think Ledeen is right on the money and this has been a long-lasting problem in the Federal Government foreign service bureaucracy. Hopefully, Bush 43 and Rice can do a better job of shaking lose the bureaucrats desire for stability and push the revolution ahead than their predecessors.

Local News: Key Democrats back state raises

2005-02-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

"The total cost for all state workers, union and nonunion, is projected at more than $300 million in the next two years."

Are you serious? With a budget deficit of around $2 billion?! The inmates are running the asylum. [hat tip: Stefan at Sound Politics]

This isn't racist?

2005-02-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

By NANCY BENAC
Associated Press Writer

February 11, 2005, 10:17 PM EST

Excerpt: "During a meeting Friday with the Democratic black caucus,
(DNC Chair Howard) Dean praised black Democrats for their work for the party, then questioned Republicans' ability to rally support from minorities.

'You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room?,' Dean asked to laughter. 'Only if they had the hotel staff in here.'

His style ever will be blunt: 'We have to never be afraid to say what we believe,' he insists. "

Emphasis mine

Another one bites the dust...

2005-02-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

AP Wire | 02/11/2005 | CNN News Executive Eason Jordan Quits: "
CNN News Executive Eason Jordan Quits

DAVID BAUDER

Associated Press

NEW YORK - CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan quit Friday amidst a furor over remarks he made in Switzerland last month about journalists killed by the U.S. military in Iraq.

Jordan said he was quitting to avoid CNN being 'unfairly tarnished' by the controversy.

During a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum last month, Jordan said he believed that several journalists who were killed by coalition forces in Iraq had been targeted.

He quickly backed off the remarks, explaining that he meant to distinguish between journalists killed because they were in the wrong place where a bomb fell, for example, and those killed because they were shot at by American forces who mistook them for the enemy.

'I never meant to imply U.S. forces acted with ill intent when U.S. forces accidentally killed journalists, and I apologize to anyone who thought I said or believed otherwise,' Jordan said in a memo to fellow staff members at CNN.

But the damage had been done, compounded by the fact that no transcript of his actual remarks has turned up. There was an online petition calling on CNN to find a transcript, and fire Jordan if he said the military had intentionally killed journalists."

Red Emphasis mine

I missed it... where did Bauder (AP) refer to blogs?
And, if this was such a "furor" how come AP never ran any stories on it before?
Plus, we know there's a tape, not just a transcript.

Ugh. Have they no shame?

They've Reutered it again

2005-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

Mudville Gazette: "Rescued Egyptian Hostages

John Lucas of Knoxville Tn., emails to clarify events surrounding the resue of Egyptian hostages by US soldiers. I've added links to the text below, otherwise, since Mr Lucas' son was one of those soldiers involved in the rescue, we'll let him take it from here:

The Reuthers (sic) report that you posted on the kidnapped Egyptians who supposedly escaped on their own from the trunk of a car is not accurate. I know, because my son and his platoon freed them and captured two (not one per the Reuthers report) of their kidnappers. The Egyptians may be slow to give credit to the U. S. Military for rescuing its citizens. The truth is that a hostage was not freed by the kidnappers. An article describing it appears in today's Knoxville News Sentinel.

It began when my son, leading a patrol, saw a suspicious car. They pulled it over, captured two of the three kidnappers and found two Egyptians bound and gagged in the trunk. Interrogation of the two prisoners let to intel re the location of the other two hostages and another US unit raided that location and freed them.

There is much more to this story, but I wanted you to know that they were not 'released' but were rescued as a result of a heads-up effort by U.S. soldiers.

Here is what went unreported. I asked my son why they had not just shot the two who ran away (one of whom was chased down and captured). I thought that perhaps the Rules of Engagement prevented them from shooting them, since they had not been shot at first. He told me, however, that the ROE did permit them to shoot, but he never gave them a 'fire' command because the street was too crowded and he was worried that they might hit civilians. So, instead, they chased them down. As a result of that decision, civilian lives were spared and all 4 hostages were rescued. It's a great example of good decision-making, good fire discipline, and concern for the people. But, not the sort of thing the media seems to want to report.

John Lucas
Knoxville, TN

Thanks for the heads-up sir! I always appreciate it when those with close knowledge of events contribute to the discussion. I really can't guess whether Reuters is guilty of slanted reporting or sloppy reporting, either way it says a lot for their credibility. Likewise since the story appeared in the LA Times I can't tell whether their editors gave it a 'once over' prior to publishing. Your son's story is a great one - time was when competing newspapers would be falling over one another trying to get the 'exclusive'. Now a few sloppy paragraphs poorly fact-checked seem to be the best we can get from the 'pros'.

For those who missed it, here's how Reuters reported the story in the LA Times as Mr Lucas referenced above:

U.S. forces in Iraq stormed a house in Baghdad on Monday and freed two of the four Egyptian telecommunications engineers who were kidnapped Sunday, the head of their Egyptian parent company said.

Naguib Sawiris, chairman of Egypt's Orascom Telecom, said U.S. troops raided a villa, possibly in the mainly Sunni Muslim district of Adhamiya, and freed the two. The other two managed to escape on their own from a car they had been locked in, he added.

Not even close.

Kudos to you and your family, Mr Lucas. Enjoy that upcoming R & R, I hope your son returns soon, safe, and proud."

Ditto

Former UN SecGen: UN's destruction is under way

2005-02-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

(registration required)

"Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the former UN Secretary-General, broke his silence yesterday to defend the 32 billion (pounds) [Oil for Food] programme, which allowed Iraq to sell oil to buy humanitarian supplies even though it was under sanctions.

Mr Boutros-Ghali, who is described as 'acquiescing' to Iraqi demands in the report, said: 'I am not saying I am not responsible in this case. There are a lot of things that I am responsible for that were 10 times worse than this, such as the genocide in Rwanda.

'I regret the mismanagement and scandal which appear with the report, because it contributes to the destruction of the UN.'"

Emphasis mine.

Although it's reassuring to know that the destruction of the UN is coming... it's taking far too long.

The Shea Butter Conspiracy

2005-02-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

From The Flag of the World

This is the kind of stuff I'd love to see in a Seattle Times article (excerpt):

Why don’t they teach these women a craft that actually pays a decent wage without requiring assistance from guilt-addled white people? For that matter, why don’t they provide them with the technology to do something more advanced than hunting and gathering? This “fair trade” shea butter is nothing but a permanent invitation to subsistence living and dependence, yet those who sell it (who almost certainly make a nice living doing so) pat themselves on the back daily for helping those poor African women.

Read the rest.

Now we know how they did it

2005-02-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

NY-Bound Flights Get False Hijack Threats

Feb 4, 3:33 PM (ET)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two Delta Air Lines Inc. flights were held briefly after landing in New York on Friday after authorities received false hijack threats, police said.

"It was a big nothing, a non-incident," Port Authority police spokesman Tony Ciavolella told Reuters.
...
Local and federal officials have been on high alert for hijackings after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in which four commercial planes were hijackers.

Emphasis mine.

No wonder we didn't catch them at the security checkpoints!

Support our troops

2005-02-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

Read SSG Daniel Felten's declaration in response to anti-Bush, anti-war loudmouths who confront him at the gas station, his tax preparation office, etc.

Then read his moving follow-up post here.

Thank you, Daniel, for telling it like it is and thank you for your service to our country.

Amen!

Social Security and the Equity Risk Premium

2005-02-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

JustOneMinute looks at the equity risk premium.
My remarks are in the comments (and below):

Comments

I agree that the equity risk premium and the long-term expected return for the U.S. stock market should be assumed to be much lower than that which applied during the 1900s. This may turn out to be conservative assumption, but in this case making conservative assumptions is prudent.

However, I don't think that this should be a focus of the current discussion on private accounts in the Social Security system. Rather, we should push for structural changes that have some chance of passage in the current political climate and then try to make incremental improvements to the structure as we go.

As you point out, no one correctly predicted that the world would look as it does now even 50 years ago. So, we have to assume that we won't know what it will look like 50 years hence.

Giving people increasing amount of control over their own savings dollars gives individuals the best chance to adapt to changes in the world as they come, rather than waiting for belated (and reactionary) changes made by the Federal Government. If we can just get the door open, perhaps the investment flexibility in these private accounts can be improved over time, and the return of the U.S. stock market will not determine the success or failure of the system.

In the best case scenario (where individuals have very flexible investment options): if U.S. growth is stalling, hurting the U.S. stock market - individuals would be able to invest elsewhere. Conceivably, there could be investment choices which include exposure to alternative investments, like foreign stocks, hedge funds, commodities, futures, and private equity, which have the ability to generate returns that are not correlated to the U.S. stock market.

Sadly, I don’t think that politicians (especially on the Left) have enough confidence in an individual’s ability to make good decisions for themselves, so suggesting that Joe Six-Pack’s social security savings might end up in hedge funds would provide ammunition with which to shoot down the private account idea altogether. So, let’s start with something simple – let it putter along for a few years, and get the Great Ownership Society underway. Later we can add some bells and whistles.

Judicial Regret

2005-01-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

In Stefan's 12/30/04 posting entitled, "Residence, Schmesidence" (http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/003330.html), The Shark said, "Intriguingly, one of the people in King County who has registered and voted at an illegal address is a very prominent citizen for whom a felony conviction (or even an investigation) for fraudulent voter registration could end their career. This is someone I think a lot of Democrats would feel bad about losing if they end up being sacrificed in this tsunami of illegitimate voting."

In a 1/9/05 Matt Rosenberg posting, a John Fund article was referenced. The Monday Jan. 10, The Wall Street Journal article said, "A noted local judge and her husband have been registered at the county building for years." Mr. Fund contacted her and got the “Mexican Mafia” line (posting found here: http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/003430.html).

I have been assuming that the "prominent citizen" Stefan referred to and the judge that Mr. Fund referred to were one and the same. I think I have identified the judge (see below), but its possible that Stefan and Mr. Fund may not be referring to the same person.

By the way, I am posting this information not to cause Judge Fletcher any grief (especially since my conclusion may not be accurate), but to illustrate another potential example of the poor job that the county elections officials may have done at making sure that a voter's mailing address and their residence are the same.

Now, here's the big question: is there some allowance for Federal judges that permits them to use the King County Elections Office address as their offical residence for some reason? If so, I've not seen that mentioned in any of the discussions thus far.

Here's what I found using the SoundPolitics (really cool) voter database:

FLETCHER BETTY B 50e 4TH AVE SEATTLE Abs
FLETCHER GEORGETTA 50e 4TH AVE SEATTLE Abs
FLETCHER ROBERT L 50e 4TH AVE SEATTLE Abs

Via Google:

Judge Betty Binns Fletcher
U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; Nominated by Jimmy Carter on July 12, 1979, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629; Confirmed by the Senate on September 26, 1979, and received commission on September 26, 1979. Assumed senior status on November 1, 1998. Born 1923 in Tacoma, WA Stanford University, B.A., 1943; University of Washington School of Law, LL.B., 1956

Betty B. Fletcher’s voter information is as follows:
Precinct: SEA 37-1823. Voter Registration Number: 0722243xxx
Her current address: 500 4TH AVE SEATTLE, WA 98104
(which is the King County elections office)
Her previous mailing address was: 1010 5TH AVE SEATTLE, WA 98104
(which is the U.S. Courthouse)

Robert L. Fletcher has the same address information under voter registration number: 0722243xxx, so I assume this is the husband referred to by John Fund, and one of the reasons I think this may be the person referenced in his article. (I haven’t found information on Georgetta Fletcher, which may not be relevant).

Anyway, does anyone know if this is all cool, or is this another example of a problem in King County?

Liberal Media Alert - Ex-First lady as "journalist"

2005-01-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

"I was approached by a couple of stations. KIRO just seemed like a great fit for me," (Mona) Locke said yesterday. "Their philosophy is much like mine, and the position they offered was the perfect fit for what I was looking for."

Her beat will include politics. No word on when the first interview with Stefan "the Shark" (http://www.soundpolitics.com ), or her expose on distributed voter fraud in Washington State (http://www.seanet.com/~jimxc/Politics/index.html), will air.

Uncomfortable chests

2004-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

(AP) In response to numerous complaints from women, the government has ordered airport security personnel to avoid touching female passengers between their breasts when performing patdowns.

Security screeners now will keep their hands to the "chest perimeter" of women unless detection equipment picks up the possibility that they are hiding explosives between their breasts.

The new method takes into consideration passenger discomfort while remaining steadfast in mitigating risks, said Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mark Hatfield.

Emphasis mine.

You want discomfort? How about smashing into a building?
Good grief.

WA State Governor's race

2004-12-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

A nightmare is unfolding.

Monopoly power

2004-11-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

Wal*Mart and the fear of capitalism - my comments are
at the link above.

(via Oh, That Liberal Media: http://www.thatliberalmedia.com/ )