| From the Library of Congress Flickr collection |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|04:13 pm] |
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[New York Giants Opening Day line-up at the Polo Grounds [New York]. Left to right: Fred Snodgrass, Tillie Shafer, George Burns, Larry Doyle, Red Murray, Fred Merkle, Buck Herzog, Chief Meyers (baseball)]
between 1910 and 1915 |
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[Jul. 4th, 2008|03:35 pm] |
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Oh, and ...
Happy postponed birthday, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lazaruslong2004! |
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| He's No Decider, He's a Ditherer |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|01:12 pm] |
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He's No Decider, He's a Ditherer
By Daniel Benjamin
Conventional wisdom holds that George W. Bush's foreign policy failed because the president -- who famously called himself "the decider" -- is too, well, decisive. Bush's reckless, impulsive decision to invade Iraq, the argument goes, opened the door for Iran's ascendancy, distracted the United States from pursuing al-Qaeda more effectively in Afghanistan and Pakistan, diverted Western attention from a worsening relationship with Russia and so on.
There's a lot to this assessment. But you can't fully comprehend the Bush record without understanding another Bush problem: a chronic failure to reach decisions or implement those that are made. On one key issue after another, from the Middle East to North Korea to the Department of Homeland Security, Bush has proven himself to be a dawdler, a foot-dragger who can't make fundamental choices or press his team to follow his commands. Call him the non-decider.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/02/AR2008070202151.html |
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[Jul. 3rd, 2008|11:00 am] |
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[Jul. 2nd, 2008|05:43 am] |
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Happy Birthday, easy_living! |
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| Just passing it along. |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|10:34 pm] |
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Kell's 15 year old daughter has been found and is (I believe) safe and unharmed. She's not home yet, but she is no longer a missing child because her parents know where she is. |
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| Free Market versus Theocracy |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|12:37 pm] |
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Napoleon had a maxim: Never interrupt an enemy when they're making a mistake.
Clearly Bush is not a student of Napoleon.
Iran is having major problems economically. Problems significantly worse than the ones Bush is struggling with.
Iran is importing gasoline and subsidizing it. Last year they tried to cut back on the subsidies and the uproar forced them back within weeks.
Think of it.
Iran is having an energy crisis.
It's having an energy crisis that their oil wealth can't buy their way out of.
They've diverted significant monies to upkeep of organizations like the Revolutionary Guard.
They're going to have major unrest internally if we just let things go the way they are now.
The Bush Administration is finally getting some things right in their final days. After years of pissing off everyone in the Middle East, they discovered the Israeli/Palestine situation in the past few months. It suddenly came to their attention that getting a peace agreement between them would help the general friction in the whole Middle East.
This Revelation came 6 1/2 years late.
Bush mismanaged the invasion of Iraq.
The Army released its own internal report this past week. The result: Planning sucked.
Bush mismanaged the Occupation.
Last year, Bush ignored every recommendation to begin negotiating with among others, Iraq. He went for "The Surge" instead.
Accompanying the Surge was a total re-think of how the war was fought. It wasn't just extra U.S. servicemen, but it was a strong effort to cooperate with regional groups, something we'd ignored. This has meant that the place is more peaceful.
Since Bush Mismanaged the Iraq election as well, the government there sucks. It hasn't managed to get water or power reliably to any section of Iraq.
We now have a Shiite Government that sees the Sunni minority as a threat.
The U.S. Army's "Surge" has organized and given weapons and support to the Sunni. The government isn't prepared to deal with an armed minority -- they'd assumed they could keep them in check with the nearly all Shiite Army and Police.
The eventual way this works out is either a real civil war or a power sharing agreement. If you think the surge was a good idea, then Bush was only 3 years late with it.
Back to Iran, Bush is constantly talking as if bombs were about to rain from the sky. This makes the unstable government in Iran stronger. Think how Bush was seen as a fairly lame president until 9-11 happened. How did we react to an outside attack? Yep, we made the existing government stronger.
Inflation was at 25% last month in Iran. 2 years back it was only 10%. The price of not just energy, but things like milk is shooting up at a high rate.
The big problem for private enterprise in Iran: Sanctions. Banks won't service them. It's slowly crushing the economy there.
What will prop up the Iranian government?
Oh, Bush bombing something.
George, read some Napoleon. |
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[Jun. 30th, 2008|12:05 pm] |
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The daughter of a friend has gone missing.
She's 15 years old and was last seen with her 17 year old friend. All the girls' friends have been contacted, and the daughter's cell phone is turned off.
Their last known location was Richmond Highway, near Ft. Belvoir, VA.
Last night, friends and family went canvassing and gathered information.
Anyone who may live in that area, please keep watch for these girls.
If seen, please call NCMEC @ 1-800-843-5678 or the local police.
Thank you all!
http://www.lhhf.org/Missing-Michele+Jessica.pdf |
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| Long ass meme |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|10:29 pm] |
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Taken from anais_pf. Bold the things you've done, add two more to the list, and pass it on.( Read more... ) |
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[Jun. 29th, 2008|08:10 am] |
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| Picture post (nws) |
[Jun. 28th, 2008|11:26 am] |
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( Yeah, click here ) |
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| Political Correctness Bans Wolf-Whistling Girls, Jails Men |
[Jun. 27th, 2008|07:30 pm] |
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(Tonbridge, Kent) Girls at West Kent College have been banned from wolf-whistling at male contractors at the school. They were notified by email to cease the harassment.
The email read: "It has come to the attention of the college that some female students have been making comments to, or whistling at, the builders both whilst on site and as they walk around the campus.
"Although we are sure no offence is meant, this constitutes harassment and is wholly unacceptable.
"We have asked the contractors' representative to pass on all instances of harassment to the college and we will take appropriate action which may include disciplinary action."
A spokeswoman for the contractors, Galliford Try, said: "We have no registered complaints on this issue."
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/193086.php |
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| Activist Judges |
[Jun. 27th, 2008|09:30 am] |
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A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
First, there are two versions of the amendment and no one's sure which one is actually accurate. The comma after "Arms" was not in the version (handwritten) passed by some states. The comma is important because without it, the right is definitely connected to "A well regulated Militia." Both of the Bush presidents selected ideologues when they appointed members to the court.
When the military tribunals were thrown out, there were complaints about activist judges from the right.
When Habeas Corpus was found to be a right of anyone in any American court, thus making Bush explain why he has each individual prisoner in Gitmo, the right complained about activist judges.
I didn't hear ol' Rush or O'Reilly complaining last night. I don't actually watch them so I may have to wait for the Daily Show to report on their rants against this new assault by activist judges.
My problem with the ruling is that it accepts their reading of the language (American's can't be denied the right to keep arms) but then slides out from under it. They can still insist that people who come to listen to oral arguments in the Court don't have the right to keep and bear arms. It allows reasonable restrictions on gun ownership.
By that, I assume that my plans to have a flame thrower for self defense in an apartment building won't go far.
It's a bullshit ruling.
The only thing that is out now is the absolute ban on hand guns in DC. One suggestion is that you'll be able to keep a gun in your home but not move it anywhere unless it's unloaded and disabled.
Other than a rise in people shooting family members and themselves and the very occasional burglar it probably won't do much. Lawyers will make a ton of money arguing what are reasonable restrictions.
This will be back before the judges in 2 years.
They've created a brand new right but have not given anywhere enough guidance on what "reasonable" means.
In the mean time, be sure and pick up your anti-tank rockets at your local gun show. |
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| Gotta love Unshelved |
[Jun. 26th, 2008|01:07 pm] |
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