Now "Jimmy the Cab Driver" is Against Bush

His 30-second soliloquies have moved from MTV to MoveOn.

How Torture Came Down From the Top

The latest official reports on the prisoner abuse scandal contain a classic Washington contradiction. Their headlines proclaim that no official policy mandated or allowed the torture of detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that no officials above the rank of colonel deserve prosecution or formal punishment. But buried in their hundreds of pages of detail, for anyone who cares to read them, is a clear and meticulous account of how decisions made by President Bush, his top political aides and senior military commanders led directly to those searing images of naked prisoners being menaced with guard dogs.

John O'Neill's Kerry Attacks Groomed by Nixon Administration

Former Nixon special counsel Chuck Colson told Klein that Kerry was an "articulate" and "credible leader" of those veterans calling for an end to the Vietnam War and therefore "an immediate target of the Nixon Administration." As such, the Nixon administration found it necessary to "create a counterfoil" to Kerry. Colson recounted, "We found a vet named John O'Neill and formed a group called Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. We had O'Neill meet the President, and we did everything we could do to boost his group." Articles from the April 21 Houston Chronicle and the June 17, 2003, Boston Globe confirm close ties between O'Neill and the Nixon administration.

Bush Administration Does 180-Degree Turn on Global Warming, Fails to Alert Bush

Citing the "best possible scientific information", an Administration official, James Mahoney, delivered a report to the US Congress that essentially reversed the previous White House position set out by President George Bush, who had refused to link carbon dioxide emissions to climate change.
But in an interview with The New York Times yesterday, Mr Bush appeared unfamiliar with the report. Asked why the Administration had changed its position on what causes global warming, Mr Bush replied, "Ah, we did? I don't think so."

Iraqi Police Round Up Journalists at Gunpoint

"You people are not under arrest," Najaf police chief Ghaleb al-Jezari told them.
"You are brought here because I want to tell you that you never publish the truth. I speak the truth, but you never broadcast what we are."
The reporters, packed into the office, with some sitting on the floor in front of the police chief, protested at their detention.
"You have kidnapped us at gunpoint," said one reporter.
The police chief complained that reporters have been misreporting the proposed visit to Najaf by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the revered Iraqi Shiite Muslim leader.

Ferndale, MI May Accept Instant Runoff Voting

City officials have approved putting a question on the November ballot, asking voters whether they wish to try IRV -- or instant runoff voting.
IRV lets voters register not only a first choice but also rank their other choices. The result is that people who vote for a third-party candidate, who then loses, don't waste their votes. Instead, their other preferences would flow automatically to other candidates, until a winner emerges with a majority of votes.

Scientists Surveyed for 10 Best Science Fiction Film

1 Blade Runner
2 2001: A Space Odyssey
3 Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back

The 1982 movie was the favourite when 60 scientists were questioned by The Guardian, including evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, the newspaper said Wednesday.

Do The Lynndie

If you've "done a Lynndie" and would like it to appear in the gallery, send the picture to nobody at badgas dot co dot uk, along with details of where it was taken.

British Bobbies Boots get Chipped

"We must ensure that the police have access to sophisticated technology they need to stay one step ahead. I want to ensure the police service is equipped with the best tools and techniques available to enable them to work with maximum effectiveness and efficiency. New communications and information systems mean that officers can spend more time on the streets with local people and less time tied up in the station with paperwork," the paper quoted Home Office Minister Caroline Flint as saying.

Subway pulls ads with fat Lady Liberty

At issue was a tray liner at Subway's German franchises promoting the documentary "Super Size Me," which links the U.S. fast-food industry, particularly Subway rival McDonald's to the America's obesity epidemic.

Synthetic Life

Biologists are crafting libraries of interchangeable DNA parts and assembling them inside microbes to create programmable, living machines.

The 3M company is constructing the World's Largest Pink Ribbon in Times Square to support breast cancer awareness.

The World's Largest Pink Ribbon will stand over 70 feet tall and consist of over 75,000 pink Post-it® Super Sticky Notes. By entering your name, city and state on the website, you will not only be supporting City of Hope through the 3M contributions noted below, but also be represented by one of the more than 75,000 Post-it® Super Sticky Notes making up the World's Largest Pink Ribbon.

Street Level Coverage of the Convention in NYC

Bush's "Down Time"

A CBS News tally shows that President Bush is now making his 38th visit to his Prairie Chapel ranch since taking office. Add up the number of full or partial days he has been there - it comes out to 254. That's about 20 percent of his presidency. Add in his time at Camp David and the Bush family home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and the percentage more than doubles. And the White House is self-conscious about it.

Nearly 36 Million Americans Living in Poverty

Democrats criticized the government's decision to release the highly anticipated report in mid-August -- when many people are on vacation -- rather than sticking to the usual September release. They also said the decision to release both the health insurance and poverty statistics in the same report was a bid to minimize media coverage of the worsening lives of the poor.

Nanoparticles Toxic in Aquatic Habitat, Study Finds

At modest concentrations in aquarium water, the minuscule particles -- which are made of carbon atoms and are less than one-thousandth the diameter of a human hair -- triggered damaging biochemical reactions in the brains of fish. They also wiped out entire populations of "water fleas," tiny animals that fill an ecologically crucial niche near the bottom of the aquatic food chain.

The MATRIX Data Mining System

Three years later, Asher's brainchild has blossomed into the MATRIX—the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange, a network of state databases subsidized by the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department. While Seisint provides its databases, technology, and facilities for the project, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a nonprofit research institute in Florida manage the day-to-day oper-ations. Law enforcement agencies in four other states—Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—are enrolled in the project, which allows them to conduct searches for criminal investigations in return for putting their own databases into MATRIX.
The American Civil Liberties Union, however, wants to eliminate federal funding for MATRIX. "They are searching through disconnected records, which may not be accurate, looking for patterns and drawing conclusions about people," says Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Project. "One conclusion they drew is that there are 120,000 suspected terrorists in the United States. If there are 120,000 terrorists in America, then we are in much deeper trouble than anyone ever imagined."

Grayson

A great trailer for a movie that doesn't exist. Robin must avenge the death of Batman.
Spoiler: Superman and Wonder Woman are with the bad guys this time.

Goodbye Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

From her book, "On Death and Dying," the five stages dying people go through

DENIAL AND ISOLATION - "NO, NOT ME, IT CANNOT BE TRUE."
ANGER - "WHY ME.".
BARGAINING - "YES ME ... BUT"
DEPRESSION - "YES ME."
ACCEPTANCE - "IT'S OKAY."

The Great American Shoutout

At the moment we see the president on our television screens, we will rise. We will throw open our windows. And, as George W. Bush moves to the podium in New York City, we will send him a message about his bid for reelection: we will yell, “fuggedaboudit!”

In Defense of Internment

BUSH JOINS PAST PRESIDENTS, LAUNCHES HUMAN RIGHTS (FAKE!) TURKEY TOUR

George W. Bush invited a trio of past presidents with reputations as human rights advocates to join him and his fake turkey on a tour of the Bush admistration's human rights record. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson expressed delight to join the White House's current resident, and Jimmy Carter brought along his Nobel Peace Prize to show willingness to bury the hatchet. Bush promptly grabbed the hatchet and tried to chop up his plastic turkey, to no avail.

Military Limits Gitmo Trial Coverage

Can journalists walk 100 metres from our accommodation to a nearby mess hall to get food or drink? Not without a military escort.
Can we take a souvenir photo of our barracks? No.
Can we even conduct a taped interview with anybody on our side of the bay, a 20 minute ferry ride from the detention camps and courtroom? No.
And those restrictions look like a breeze when you see the limitations imposed on reporting the actual court hearings.
Some of the regulations are bizarre and have no parallel. For example, journalists in the courtroom can't use phone lines to file stories during breaks in the proceedings.
If you get up to go to the toilet, you are then barred from the courtroom for the rest of the day.

Disinfopedia Wiki vs Swift Boat Vets for Truth

Last year we launched the Disinfopedia, a "wiki" website designed to mobilize hundreds of volunteers to help us investigate and expose front groups and propaganda campaigns. The Disinfopedia is an experiment in participatory investigative journalism, and the experiment seems to be succeeding. One recent example is the Disinfopedia listing for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Not only is the Disinfopeda entry on the group extensive, up to date and well documented, it's being widely read by thousands daily and it appears at or near the top in Google. There will always be propaganda and deception, but Disinfopedia is proving a powerful tool for getting to the truth. We invite you to help us to research, edit and write the Disinfopedia; click here to learn how to get started.

Guantanamo Play Opens in NYC (link to British review)

Based on the testimony of the 11 British inmates at the Guantanamo Detention Centre in Cuba, as well as transcripts of interviews carried out between their relatives and the play's writers, Victoria Brittain and Gillian Slovo, it has created a storm of publicity in the United Kingdom.

Halliburton Stonewalling Pentagon Auditors

In an Aug. 16 memo to the U.S. Army Field Support Command, the Defense Contract Audit Agency strongly urged the Army to withhold 15 percent or about $60 million a month from Halliburton's reimbursements to prod the Houston firm to clear its books.
The memo, released Tuesday, shows a growing impatience by some at the Pentagon with Halliburton's effort to get its paperwork up to date.

Agencies Misuse Classification Authority, Managers Say

"It is no secret that the government classifies too much information," William Leonard, director of the Information Security Oversight Office, told the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations. He said the amount of improperly classified information has been "disturbingly increasing" since last year in "clear, blatant violation" of regulations.

Gridcosm

a collaborative, recursive art project.
how it works: each level of gridcosm is made up of nine(9) square images arranged into a 3x3 grid. the middle image is a size version of the previous level. artists add images around that center image until a new 3x3 grid is completed, then that level itself shrinks and becomes the seed for the next level. this process creates an ever expanding tunnel of images, the newest level a direct result of the previous level which is a result of the previous level... and so on.

Cheney Hearts Gays

"Lynne and I have a gay daughter, so it's an issue our family is very familiar with," Cheney told an audience that included his daughter. "With the respect to the question of relationships, my general view is freedom means freedom for everyone. ... People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to."

Depleted uranium: Dirty bombs, dirty missiles, dirty bullets

This week the American Free Press dropped a “dirty bomb” on the Pentagon by reporting that eight out of 20 men who served in one unit in the 2003 U.S. military offensive in Iraq now have malignancies. That means that 40 percent of the soldiers in that unit have developed malignancies in just 16 months.

Cabbies Coupon to GOP Delegates

On the condition the delegates are on their way to Iraq.

Electricity Revives Coral Reef

The wires are part of highly original and ambitious underwater experiment: the use of low-voltage electrical current to stimulate regrowth in a badly damaged coral reef. Conceived by coral expert Tom Goreau of the United States and German architecture professor Wolf Hilbertz, the project began four years ago and has already achieved remarkable results.
Covering a total length of nearly 1,000 feet, the Karang Lestari Project -- "coral preservation" in Indonesian -- is the world's largest coral nursery ever built using this technology.

Cuba Rejects $50K Disaster Relief

"This cynical and hypocritical offer . . . to ease hurricane Charley's effects ignores the damage caused over more than four decades by the economic war of successive (American) administrations against our country," Cuba's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried in the Communist workers weekly newspaper Trabajadores.

Reality Show: Hispanics Compete for Green Card

The show has had hundreds of contestants willing to eat burritos crammed with live worms, jump off speeding trucks, or wash windows on a skyscraper in exchange for free legal help with their green card or visa cases. Many of the shows stunts feature a Mexican theme. There is no guarantee they will receive a green card and spokespeople from the immigration department have chastised the show for offering false hope to people because cases are decided according to laws. The show which began this summer in Los Angeles has received high ratings. Southern California is home to approximately two million immigrants and many more who are here illegally and trying to stay in the country.

Proesters in NYC Will Have Past Records Unsealed

Protesters arrested at the upcoming Republican National Convention could face harsher penalties than in the past, the Daily News has learned.
That's because of a little-noticed court ruling that allowed the Manhattan district attorney's office to introduce previously sealed records of prior arrests for civil disobedience.

Scientists Say Risk of Water Wars Rising

Scientists at the World Water Week conference which began on Sunday in Stockholm said that ignorance and complacency were widespread in wealthier countries.
"I don't know what will shake these regions out of complacency other than the fact there will be droughts, pestilence and wars that break out over water rights," said Mitsch, professor of natural resources at Ohio State University.

Jesse Ventura Aiding Soldiers' Group

The site lists its mission as: "Operation Truth will educate the American public about the truth of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from the perspective of the soldiers who have experienced them firsthand. We will provide returning veterans with national, regional and local podiums from which they will expose the preventable hardships that they endured as a result of failures at the top levels of leadership.''

Vets Call for Swift Boat-er to Resign

Several Vietnam veterans are calling for an assistant district attorney to resign after questions were raised about his statement in a recent ad criticizing Democrat John Kerry's military service.
Alfred French of the Clackamas County district attorney's office appears in the ad sponsored by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. In the spot, French says: "I served with John Kerry. ... He is lying about his record."

CIA to Report on What Saddam's Weapons Might Will Have Been in 2008

Having failed to find banned weapons in Iraq, the CIA is preparing a final report on its search that will speculate on what the deposed regime's capabilities might have looked like years from now if left unchecked, according to congressional and intelligence officials.

The Miraculous Winking Jesus

On April 23rd 1996, this picture of Jesus Christ miraculously winked at me. This experience has changed my life. Over nine hundred and twenty thousand people have come to witness this miracle. Many people have had a lot to say about their experience. If you are fortunate enough to witness this image of Jesus Christ wink, please tell your friends and family about this miracle!- Rev. Jonathan C. Chance (Internet Field Missionary)

Countless Slow-Motion Videos

Bush Rally Loyalty Oath (Word doc)

[Must be signed before entering Bush events]

Whereas President George W. Bush’s leadership in the war against terrorism has led a broad coalition to advance the cause of human freedom and liberty and make the world more secure,

Whereas President George W. Bush has cut taxes twice, helped open foreign markets for American products, signed into law strong legislation against corporate fraud, helped reduce American dependence on foreign sources of energy, and helped small businesses grow and succeed has improved our national economic growth and helped create more jobs,

Whereas President George W. Bush is leading our nation toward greater prosperity and compassion, where every citizen has a chance to realize the promise of America, and where the strength of America is recognized in the heart and soul of our citizens and in a culture that emphasizes personal responsibility,


I, , as
(Full Name)

of
(Elected Position and/or Organization Title)

of
(City and/or County and/or District) (State)

do hereby endorse George W. Bush for reelection as President of the United States.


Signed,

Army Reserve Payroll Error Rate at 95%

GIs sent to Iraq and Afghanistan have had to spend a year or more straightening out problems affecting their pay, allowances and tax benefits, the GAO said. Most errors involved overpayments, but those proved to be problematic for recipients who didn't acknowledge the extra pay or didn't set aside enough money to pay it back.

Document: John Kerry's 1971 Congressional Testimony

The First Rock Band Approved in Iran: Queen

Mercury, who died in 1991, was proud of his Iranian ancestry, and illegal bootleg albums and singles made Queen one of the most popular bands in Iran.
The album contains hits such as Bohemian Rhapsody, The Miracle and I Want to Break Free, but reportedly omits a number of Queen's love songs.

The Dangers of Touch-Screen Voting - Paul Krugman

It's election night, and early returns suggest trouble for the incumbent. Then, mysteriously, the vote count stops and observers from the challenger's campaign see employees of a voting-machine company, one wearing a badge that identifies him as a county official, typing instructions at computers with access to the vote-tabulating software.
When the count resumes, the incumbent pulls ahead. The challenger demands an investigation. But there are no ballots to recount, and election officials allied with the incumbent refuse to release data that could shed light on whether there was tampering with the electronic records.
This isn't a paranoid fantasy. It's a true account of a recent election in Riverside County, Calif., reported by Andrew Gumbel of the British newspaper The Independent.
See also: http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=1013&IssueNum=55

Make Your Contribution to the GOP Platform

Your participation in the development of our platform is important to us. We know that the best ideas most often come from Americans who solve real problems and live real dreams every single day. Fresh solutions are cultivated in the fertile soil of neighborhoods, homes, faith communities and workplaces all across the United States.

Tony Blair Turns Down Congressional Medal of Honor

"...he has refused for more than a year now and for good reason. He cannot possibly accept an award for the Iraq war when British and American troops continue to risk their lives there."
Mr Blair is concerned also that a trip to the US now would effectively be giving a boost to Bush ahead of November's presidential elections.

Tokyo Origami Convention

Because of the insights it provides to the study of dimensions and spatial relations, the geometry of origami is increasingly being taught in university math departments -- the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will have its first origami course next year.

Pentagon Pushes for Network of "Friendly Militias"

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a key architect of the Iraq war, told the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday the money would be used "for training and equipping local security forces -- not just armies -- to counter terrorism and insurgencies."
[It worked so well with bin Laden in the 80's, what could possibly go wrong? - Ed.]

Push for National Animal Identification System (NAIS)

State and tribal plans include collecting intra- and interstate animal movement records electronically; integrating data collection technologies at livestock marketing facilities and processing plants; tracking livestock imported from other countries; and electronically collecting animal movement data as livestock are loaded on and off trucks and trailers at their ship-from and ship-to locations.

Cops Disciplined for Tasering Grandmother

Police said Louise Jones tussled with officers when they tried to give her a ticket for honking the horn. One of the officers used the taser, which is capable of issuing a 50,000-volt shock, to stun her. The officers said Fred Jones then came downstairs and jumped on one of the officers' backs.

Graphic Designer Fired After Heckling Bush

"I'm mad less about losing the job — I'm more mad about the reasons," said Glen Hiller, 35, of Berkeley Springs. "All I did was show up and voice my opinion."

Let the Bush Administration Help You Write for the Echo Chamber

Example: "President Bush’s pro-growth agenda, strong education system, and policies to help American workers gain the skills to secure good jobs are the right ways to respond to the challenges of our growing and changing economy." You can edit the text to your liking.

What if the whole world could vote in the U.S. presidential election?

An unscientific online survey with Bush vs. Kerry results broken down by country.