Osama was 20 minutes away from capture and then...

Guess what? According to the Times Online, way back when, when it was known that Osama bin Laden was hiding out in caves in Tora Bora, the Brits were within 20 minutes of capturing him. But the Americans wanted to get the credit, so the Brits were told to hold off until the Americans arrived....several hours later, by which time Osama was long gone. 20 minutes!!!! A lousy 20 minutes!

Bin Laden was located by British signals intelligence experts in a series of caves at Tora Bora in the White Mountains, 25 miles southwest of Jalalabad; but the assault on the caves was badly botched and risk aversion mentality won the day. A combined force of SAS and SBS commandos was just 20 minutes behind Bin Laden, but they were pulled off to allow US troops to go in for the kill. It took several hours for the Americans to get there, by which time he had escaped.

Sigh.

US building new “terrorist” prison in Morocco

There is little hope that the US practice of “extraordinary renditions” will come to an end any time soon. According to the Times Online, the US is currently building a new facility in Morocco for US “terrorist” prisoners.

The new prison is being built just outside the Moroccan capital of Rabat and will be under the nominal direction of the Securite du Territoire (DST), the Moroccan secret police.

I suppose this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Firstly, building “black site” detention facilities using US money is not exactly a secret.

Most of the facilities were built and are maintained with congressionally appropriated funds, but the White House has refused to allow the CIA to brief anyone except the House and Senate intelligence committees' chairmen and vice chairmen on the program's generalities.

Secondly, sending prisoners to countries who have no qualms about torture is also well known.

On March 7, the Minister of Human Rights, Mohamed Oujjar, stated that a body composed of officials from the Ministries of Human Rights, Justice, and the Interior (of Morocco)were investigating reports that persons detained in connection with the May 2003 Casablanca explosions had been subjected to torture and human rights violations.

AI and other human rights organizations reported torture and ill treatment during initial interrogations of prisoners, including beatings, electric shocks, and sexual abuse. Former detainees reported that they were held in secret detention and denied contact with lawyers or family. The AI report also documented accusations of arbitrary detention and forced confessions of detained terrorism suspects.

In addition, we are all well aware that the US “rewards” those countries willing to do their dirty work for them.

Morocco is an important ally of the United States because of its cooperation in fighting terrorism, the 2004 signing of a bilateral free-trade agreement, and its generally pro-West policies. In June 2004, the United States designated Morocco “a major non-NATO ally,” thus easing restrictions on arms sales.

So, why is this news? I think many of us thought that after the public outcry over “black sites”, after the international beating Condie Rice took on her December European tour over the matter, after the international furor and investigations into which countries hosted or abetted in the disappearances, the Bush administration just might have left things in a condition that was at least no more expansive than what already existed. No such luck. To be still building NEW facilities shows that not only will extraordinary renditions (along with their accompanying and inevitable torture) continue, but will undoubtedly continue well into the future.

The building, like the US policy, is meant to last a long time.

Bravo Mrs. Mills, bravo

In yet another display of astounding clarity and insight, Mrs. Mills once again manages to solve all problems with grace and dignity.

The question:

I have a large and mainly pleasant extended family, and we meet periodically at occasions throughout the year. At the last gathering, one member dominated the conversation as usual. At one point, she spoke continuously for 20 minutes — nobody could get a word in edgeways. How can I stop her from yabbering and give everyone else a chance to talk?

The answer:

Tie her to a chair and gag her. With so many others present, it shouldn’t be difficult to enlist help in holding her down, and it keeps children amused for hours.

Collateral Damage

Amanda is wondering if it's wrong to find it funny that Dick Cheney just shot his friend, millionaire Harry Whittington while quail hunting on the Armstrong Ranch in Texas.

Well.... no. It's not wrong. Well... maybe it is. I know how it feels to get shot. So, why can't I get rid of the feeling of mirth?

Whittington took a full upper body blast when Cheney opened fire on a low-flying bogey... um, a quail. (Sorry, it was the adrenaline.) Whittington was attended by the small army of medical people, who follow Cheney everywhere he goes, and was taken to Corpus Christi where he's reported to be in stable condition.

It does make you wonder though. This guy is second in command of an administration with the most technically powerful armed forces in the world at its disposal. He has been a significant part of the unleashing of that power, first, with full justification and second, with no justification at all. In short, he's used to pulling the trigger with no concern for collateral damage.

Of course, if Cheney hadn't received all those deferments he might have had a little better knowledge of weapons safety and better control of his weapon. You know. The rule about "clear three sixty" and calling your shot.

Hell of a price to pay for such a big fat tax cut though.

Update: You have to read Laura's take on this. I know it just adds to the bizarre nature of the story... but it speaks volumes.

Re-inventing the Sea King

National Defence Headquarters has announced that 5 Sea King CH-124 helicopters will be converted from their anti-submarine warfare role to airborne troop transport aircraft.

Most Canadians go into an immediate tail-spin whenever they hear the name "Sea King". That's understandable considering the years of bad press they have received for serviceability problems. But the press hasn't always been right and they have flogged the Sea Kings without understanding what serviceability means for a shipborne anti-submarine warfare helicopter.

First, look at the role of the current Sea King fleet. They are a ship controlled, free moving air unit designed to act as a flexible, medium-range submarine detection system. They perform a second, but just as important role as a standoff weapons launching system. They rarely operate independently and are under the positive control of the ship from which they launch or another destroyer/frigate in a task unit.

Secondly, examine the conditions under which they operate. They are launched from the very small flight decks of frigates in all weather conditions, day and night. They are subject to salt water which attacks everything in the aircraft, from landing gear to transmission seals. Inspection and maintenance standards are rigid and stringent. The slightest flaw or suspect part will ground a Sea King. The actual mission is also taxing. Sea Kings spend a lot of time in the hover close to the surface of the water and, to be effective, they must maintain their position with absolute precision. For this they have a sophisticated system for automated approach to a stabilized sustained hover. In short they can stay over the precise position ordered by the air controller without driving the pilot nuts. This is equivalent to balancing a basketball on a thin 4 foot stick while keeping the bottom of the stick on one spot on the floor. Then comes the landing. The aircraft has no other place to go, so if the flight deck is rolling, pitching and yawing, it still has to land. To assist, the helicopter drops a line and connects to a traversing device on the deck known as a Beartrap. The helicopter maintains hover and power and is literally wound down into the deck. It is then "trapped" by a set of clamps and held in place. The Royal Canadian Navy developed this system and for what it's worth, for decades the RCN was the only navy landing a large helicopter the size of a Sea King on a frigate. Everyone else thought we were crazy.

Understand that, as bad as the media will make the Sea King out to be, it is still a serviceable aircraft. There is a more significant problem with the fact that it is utilizing outdated avionics. The Sea King can no longer keep up with other allied shipborne air resources and while its maintenance hours appear high, it is only because of its age. Newer aircraft require fewer maintenance hours because of improvements. Canadian navy Sea Kings require more maintenance hours than they did when they were new, but they are not significantly out of line with a military spec helicopter in mid-life. In short, the maintenance hours are lower than they could be if we didn't look after them so well. An analogy would be comparing a well-maintained 1966 Ford Mustang with a new 2006 Ford Mustang. The older car will always require more maintenance because of the older technology.

There are two variants of Sea King in the Canadian air inventory. The CH124A is equipped with a dipping active sonar and the ability to localize a submarine. It hovers and listens passively for a submarine or it can start pinging, (something usually done in the seconds before it attacks). Once it has located a submarine it launches a MK46 active sonar homing torpedo, and then it backs away. The CH124B looks the same but has different capabilities. It has no dipping sonar and no active capability. It launches several listening buoys (sonobuoys) and an onboard operator analyses the data sent by the buoys. Both variants have a problem in that their outdated systems require detection, analysis, tactical decision making and reporting by the aircrew. Newer naval helicopters transmit all data to the ship where it is integrated into a much better picture of the battlescape. Of the two variants, the CH124B is now the least useful and its inclusion in NATO and Allied task groups does not provide the speed and accuracy in producing underwater information necessary to protect the force. It is this variant which is being converted to a troop transport role.

While the navy will feel the effect of fewer ASW helicopters, the changing nature of warfare means that the conversion of some shipborne helicopters is not out of keeping with current naval operations. The quick reaction force up to now has relied on a "tossed-together" group using ASW Sea Kings which, due to the weight of their built-in ASW systems, could not transport sufficient numbers of troops for a safe and effective ground assault. By removing the ASW gear and modifying the internal layout, they will adequately fulfill a necessary role.

For what it's worth, Canada's Sea Kings have undergone at least two major refits in their lifetime. The latest was a rip-down, right to the last rivet, and a complete rebuild. Many navies still operate the Sea King in one form or another, including the Chileans who have perfected the art of launching Exocet anti-ship missiles from a hovering helicopter. Both the US navy and the British Royal Navy have converted their ASW Sea King fleets, which are roughly the same age as Canada's, to troop transport and utility helicopters (although the RN still uses a Sea King in the ASW role and has some converted for airborne early warning).

While none of this relieves the necessity of having a new shipborne helicopter delivered to the navy quickly, this new employment of the Sea Kings is not wrong.

Look what's opening in Ottawa

Well that didn't take long. Big Daddy Dobson and his crowd of right-wingnut conservatives have crossed the border to set up a "think tank". (via Canadian Cynic).

I'm surprised it happened this fast, although I shouldn't be. This is a group of homophobes who proselytize their warped religious doctrine wherever they set up shop. Dobson's group has an unprecedented level of access to the White House in the US and it's a sure bet that they are looking to achieve the same thing in Ottawa.

Say hello to the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada. This is an extreme literal bible lobby group with a rigidly narrow agenda. They will be pushing for quick legislation repealing same-sex marriage and they will be adding the yeast to the benign mash of a non-existent abortion debate. The two groups who will be directly affected by their "policy guidance" to government will be gay/lesbian groups and women.

The timing is rather obvious. If the current crop of Conservatives had not gained power, they would not be here. The Canadian government had always been viewed as dangerous ground by Dobson and Focus On The Family. Even the former Progressive Conservatives were considered too moderate for Dobson's liking. The Conservative Party of Canada however, is a different group and it's about to become very obvious. The attraction to Dobson is the extremists in the CPC and the close ties they have with US ultra-right.

And before someone tries to comment that IMFC isn't really affiliated with Focus On The Family, check out the employment opportunities at FOTFC.

We can only hope that enough sane heads exist in the new Canadian government to show this bunch back to their spawning grounds. Of course, Big Daddy Dobson has just had his penis whacked in Colorado, home of his head office.

Onto the blogroll

I really like the unique way this blog puts things in perspective. So... onto the blogroll with An Average Guy's Blog.

Oh Ann, you are SO butch!

Our lady of the adam's apple is at it again. This time the racist crap spilling out of her mouth was done in the presence of the Conservative Political Action Committee. From Max Blumenthal at Huffington Post:

Coulter on Muslims:
"I think our motto should be post-9-11, 'raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences.'" (This declaration prompted a boisterous ovation.)

Coulter on killing Bill Clinton:
(Responding to a question from a Catholic University student about her biggest moral or ethical dilemma) "There was one time I had a shot at Clinton. I thought 'Ann, that's not going to help your career.'"

Coulter on moderate Republicans:
"There is more dissent on a slave plantation then amongst moderates in the Republican party."

Coulter on the Holocaust:
"Iran is soliciting cartoons on the Holocaust. So far, only Ted Rall, Garry Trudeau, and the NY Times have made submissions."

Coulter on the Supreme Court:
"If we find out someone [referring to a terrorist] is going to attack the Supreme Court next week, can't we tell Roberts, Alito, Thomas and Scalito?"

And Muslims are upset over Danish cartoons?!!

Of course she has been busy this week with racial slurs. From Media Matters:

One [cartoon] showed Muhammad turning away suicide bombers from the gates of heaven, saying "Stop, stop -- we ran out of virgins!" -- which I believe was a commentary on Muslims' predilection for violence. Another was a cartoon of Muhammad with horns, which I believe was a commentary on Muslims' predilection for violence. The third showed Muhammad with a turban in the shape of a bomb, which I believe was an expression of post-industrial ennui in a secular -- oops, no, wait: It was more of a commentary on Muslims' predilection for violence.

[...]

Muslims are the only people who make feminists seem laid-back.

[...]
The belief that Islam forbids portrayals of Muhammad is recently acquired. Back when Muslims created things, rather than blowing them up, they made paintings, frescoes, miniatures and prints of Muhammad.

But apparently the Koran is like the Constitution: It's a "living document," capable of sprouting all-new provisions at will. Muslims ought to start claiming the Koran also prohibits indoor plumbing, to explain their lack of it.

[...]

Making the rash assumption for purposes of discussion that Islam is a religion and not a car-burning cult, even a real religion can't go bossing around other people like this.

I doubt whether Coulter has actually ever met a Muslim. She strikes me as the kind of person who, without the protection of a TV studio, at the sight of an imamah, would piss herself and run in the opposite direction as fast as her stiletto heels would take her.

The trouble is, this waste of skin believes everything she says. I can think of an appropriate Fatwa to solve the problem.

More Proof of Global Warming

Dear George and Stephen,

This study from the University of East Anglia finds that the Northern Hemispere is experiencing its warmest conditions in 1200 years.

“Our results show that, during the late 20th century, warming affected the entire northern hemisphere and that at no point in the past 1,000 years has the northern hemisphere experienced the same widespread warming,” said Dr Timothy Osborn, one of the two researchers involved in the study.

This is not good.

Under the study, Osborn and his colleague Keith Briffa studied 'proxy climate records' like rings around trees, fossils and ice cores in 14 regions from the world over.

But nothing older than 6000 years, so this should fit in with your god thing.

“The key conclusion was that the 20th century stands out as having unusually widespread warmth, compared to all of the natural warming and cooling episodes during the past 1,200 years,” Osborn said.

Hmmm. Have either of you noticed a difference in the temperature in Washington or Ottawa?

Mann added that the study reinforces that global warming is a reality and very much happening. “This latest paper might be the nail in the coffin for the small minority of very vocal climate change denialists who continue to challenge the conclusion that the recent warming of the Earth's surface is out of the ordinary,” he said.

Maybe this is just junk science.

The findings of the study have been published in the journal Science.

Nope. It's real alright. Maybe these guys are actually smarter than you two.

Garth Turner for Speaker?

Honestly, I hadn't really thought of it, but BCer in Toronto raises an interesting idea. What if the Conservative backbenchers decided to express their disgust for the shenanigans of Harper and his dilettantes by moving Garth Turner to the Speaker's chair. As he points out, the Liberals and NDP could do it. It is a secret ballot and it would serve to shove right back in Harper's face the same thing he's been trying to get the entire country to swallow. (Sorry, Harper, old boy, that's a part of the cow that I won't eat.)

As good an idea as that sounds, I would have certain misgivings. I didn't like Garth Turner when he was last in government and I haven't warmed up to him now, despite his his current stand. Although.... Speaker.... yeah, maybe.

Bush's "Responsible Debate" Defined by US Veteran's Administration

Laura Berg, a clinical nurse with the US Veterans Administration, is like a lot of US citizens. Occasionally she sees something which causes her to rise up and speak. She feels confident that given the guarantees provided under the Constitution she is free to criticize her elected leaders and the people those leaders employ their name. It is her birthright to speak freely. At least that's what she thought.

Berg wrote a letter to a weekly newspaper shortly after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to New Orleans. This is what it said, (from The Progressive):

"I am furious with the tragically misplaced priorities and criminal negligence of this government," it began. "The Katrina tragedy in the U.S. shows that the emperor has no clothes!" She mentioned that she was a VA nurse working with returning vets. "The public has no sense of the additional devastating human and financial costs of post-traumatic stress disorder," she wrote, and she worried about the hundreds of thousands of additional cases that might result from Katrina and the Iraq War.

"Bush, Cheney, Chertoff, Brown, and Rice should be tried for criminal negligence," she wrote. "This country needs to get out of Iraq now and return to our original vision and priorities of caring for land and people and resources rather than killing for oil. . . . We need to wake up and get real here, and act forcefully to remove a government administration playing games of smoke and mirrors and vicious deceit.

Otherwise, many more of us will be facing living hell in these times."

Clearly, she was a citizen expressing outrage at all she had seen. She is allowed. The freedoms guaranteed under the Constitition are absolute.

After the paper published the letter in its September 15-21 issue, VA administrators seized her computer, alleged that she had written the letter on that computer, and accused her of "sedition."

It turned out there was no record of the letter being written on the computer. But, that didn't stop the VA from trampling all over the guaranteed freedom of speech. In response to queries by Berg, Mel Hooker, chief of the human resources management service at the Albuquerque VA, wrote this:

"The Agency is bound by law to investigate and pursue any act which potentially represents sedition," he said. "In your letter . . . you declared yourself "as a VA nurse" and publicly declared the Government which employs you to have "tragically misplaced priorities and criminal negligence" and advocated, "act forcefully to remove a government administration playing games of smoke and mirrors and vicious deceit." "

Berg will no longer speak to the press. She is also concerned that the FBI was brought into this case. She's afraid. Because she exercised her constitutional right to speak. It's not a stretch to believe that her co-workers and family are now having second thoughts about whether they should speak up when the incompetent or illegal actions of the Bush administration gives them reason.

So, do we declare the US Constitution in extreme peril on the merits of this case? Or do we wait for the next one?

The ACLU has taken up her case.

And The Revolt Begins

Conservative Member of Parliament Garth Turner has a weblog. This will blow your doors off. The MP for Halton is standing by his principles and it looks like he's not the only one.

This one MP came face-to-face with the party machine in a series of unhappy meetings including one tonight with the prime minister. I think it is now safe to say my career options within the Conservative caucus are seriously limited. If you would like a course on how not to be popular in Ottawa, then take a seat.

And it just gets more interesting.

Huge hat tip to Kevin at Tilting At Windmills.

Ten from the top

Laura from LWC passed this meme along (and gave us the option of turning it down). In the interest of keeping our corner blogosphere alive for one more day, here goes!

Ten Views I Hold without Evidence (“We” actually, but each individually):

1. (Cheryl) That eating bread crusts will cause hair to grow on your chest.

2. (Dave) That all-season tires are really only good in an environment that does not experience a real winter. That, and given the difference in price and variety available, some all-season tires are probably only good in places where the difference between seasons can be described as summer and three months of bad tanning weather.

3. (Cheryl) That extra-terrestrial life exists. Somewhere in the cosmos there is a being who is putting together a 2 hour special and one of the theoretical cosmic characters looks like Carl Sagan.

4. (Dave) That there is a direct relationship between the number of square feet I vacuum and the amount of sex I get. (Just turning the machine on doesn’t work. It actually has to move.)

5. (Dave) That cats are not really a domestic animal. Given an opportunity they would take over the world and just wait to be pampered, fed and entertained by humans. I know what you’re thinking. That makes me right.

6. (Cheryl) That if a recipe calls for one tablespoon of cognac it was a misprint. The author really meant five tablespoons.

7. (Dave) That there is no point in using a hand tool when there is a perfectly good power tool to accomplish the job. If I don’t own one, I will someday and the job can wait until then.

8. (Dave) That education has the power to end poverty provided that securing an education doesn’t create an entire generation of impoverished students.

9. (Dave) That there really are alternatives to extracting non-renewable resources to make our lives comfortable and that the answer is now within our grasp. Of course, whatever we do will create a whole new set of problems, but they won’t be ours.

10. (Cheryl) That everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten: Hold hands when crossing the street, share your toys and don’t pee in the sandbox.

Done! I will pass this on to Scotian if and when the challenge is accepted.

What is the Conservative Cabinet scandal telling us?

Scandal? Yes. If it's scandalous, and it is, it's a scandal. What should have been a one day news story is now into day four and there is no sign it's going to abate very quickly. But what is it telling us?

Let's first observe the public reaction: Outrage.

The public elected the Harper Conservatives filled with misgivings. There was a need to exorcise the Liberals after a much publicized and acrimonious public inquiry which gave even the most loyal Liberals a moment of pause. It didn't matter that Paul Martin had initiated the inquiry into his own party's activity, there was a stain that needed to be taken out. However, Harper was hardly a good choice. His past extreme views, his association with the far right and the Reform roots of his Conservative Party of Canada made voters nervous - so much so that most Canadians voted for somebody else.

Once elected, Canadians expected Harper to live up to the vision he had conjured up during the campaign. Ignore the past, he was now a "good guy". He would provide good and honest government, accountability and above all, it would be squeaky clean. Canadians warily provided the yardarm and a single halyard to let Stephen Harper hoist a set of colours. Canadians, who can usually be relied upon to ignore the government for the first few months after an election, viewed Harper differently. The casual trust was not there. As opposed to embracing Harper, now that he was elected, Canadians were watching to gauge his moves. Where other prime ministers might have had to wait six months for the public to start scrutinizing the performance of government, Harper was going to be watched with great skepticism from the very beginning. His failure to recognize that speaks to the fact that he does not know how Canadians view him and shows that his own view of Canadians is deficient. Someone with his past political affiliations, leading a party populated with extremists should have gone out of his way to avoid controversy and prevent the appearance of arrogance. He failed miserably.

John Reynolds, co-chairman of Harper's campaign for this run, said it all with this one line: "A campaign is a campaign". Indeed. In other words, the campaign, a tightly scripted strategic advertising effort, had nothing at all to do with how Harper would govern or behave once he occupied the prime minister's chair.

David Emerson remains unrepentant after his treachery and refuses to resign after a huge outcry from his constituents. Why? He didn't expect the violent reaction of the voters in his riding and was not ready for it. Harper and Emerson failed to understand the effect and the reason Emerson was elected as a Liberal. The voters will decide what is in their own best interest - not Harper and not Emerson. (Notwithstanding, the implicit reasons for Emerson's inclusion in Cabinet now seem to be complete garbage.)

Fortier, who we were told will be eventually required to run for a seat in the Commons in order to legitimize his scandalous appointment to Cabinet has made it clear that is not his intention. It now raises the question as to how this deal was reached. While Harper has said Fortier would be required to run in the next election, Fortier has rejected the idea of running in a by-election should a Montreal seat open up. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that this is a deal whereby Fortier sits in Cabinet during this minority government only and doesn't run at all in the future. He keeps his Senate seat and vanishes into the political swamp - out of government. That Fortier would, within a few days of being the centre of a political storm, enunciate "I didn't run in the election because I didn't want to run in the election," again speaks of a failure to understand the expectations of Canadians generally and the extreme skepticism with which Harper's ascendancy to office is viewed. Again, the reaction of Fortier and Harper demonstrates a complete underestimation of what should have been a totally predictable reaction.

The appointment of Gordon O'Connor as Defence Minister is again an indication that the Conservatives and particularly Harper, have failed to grasp the expectations of Canadians. During the campaign he daily tossed around an ethics package that suggested he would end conflicts of interest among political leaders and senior civil servants. It doesn't matter that the particular instance of O'Connor's past lobbying isn't precisely covered in Harper's ethics package. Most Canadians never read it. But, they did hear the message and the expectation was that Harper would live by his words - both literally and optically. O'Connor's appointment to Defence is viewed as a first violation of the promise to steer well clear of such situations. Whether this is a "near miss" or not in Harper's view of ethics, Canadians see one thing. Different party; same load of manure. While other party leaders may have been able to get away with it, Harper does not seem to understand that he will be given no such latitude.

All of this exposes a Conservative Party vulnerability. While they ran a tight and smooth campaign, the spin machine that kept them on track shut down at 241600Z Jan 06, the morning after the election. Why? Because they didn't think they'd need it. They thought they would slide into power much the same as other past new governments; that the breathing room would be there. They weren't ready for the extreme skepticism, the critical eye and Canadians who were wide awake. And the reason they weren't ready is because they cannot understand how Canadians view them. The only way they could have enticed Canadians into the normal post-election slumber would have been to be totally honest, completely ethical and free of all treachery. Now they cannot move because Canadians have never really trusted them. And it's too late to run up the spin machine.

Harper is reported to be a control freak. While he may not expect the adoration of Canadians, he does expect obedience. That again goes to his myopic view of Canadians and the country. Canadians don't take kindly to being ordered about by politicians. Harper may be able to demand obedience at Cabinet, at caucus and even within his party. He needs to get a grip on the concept that such a leadership style will not work outside of those limited venues. Not a few Conservative supporters are suggesting Harper has the authority to demand compliance with whatever decisions he makes - majority rules, after all.

That's right, and that means that the 63.7 percent of those who voted for someone other than the Conservatives constitute that majority. Harper needs to learn something very quickly: Elections are held to determine who is going to take direction; not who is going to give it. The government does not direct the will of obedient Canadians; Canadians direct the will of an obedient government.

Harper needs to get over himself quickly or he'll find that his term in office is extremely short, terribly uncomfortable and very bloody.

Retired Arkansas Nurse Saves Chicken

OK, one more in the "You can't make this stuff up" department. From AP, (a much more reliable source than the Bolton post from Newswire).

A retired nurse in Arkansas has revived a drowned chicken.

Marian Morris saved her brother's exotic chicken, Boo Boo, by administering "mouth-to-beak" resuscitation on the fowl after it was found floating face down in the family's pond.

I'm wrestling with what I would do if I saw a chicken floating face down in a pond. Maybe I'd put up a sign - Do Not Drink The Water. Somehow the thought of reviving a chicken isn't the first thing that comes to mind.

Morris, a retired nurse, said she hadn't had any practice with CPR in years, but that she was interested to see if she "still had it."

Ummm... CPR?

"I breathed into its beak, and its dad-gum eyes popped open," Morris said. "I breathed into its beak again, and its eyes popped open again. "I said, 'I think this chicken's alive now. Keep it warm.'"

Uhuh! Well I guess she's still got it.

Morris said she was pleased to find that the bird she saved was an "exotic," and not just an ordinary chicken.

You mean she didn't know it was special before she put her lips on it?!!

The family thought Boo Boo was startled and flopped into the pond.

No suicide note was found.

I'm sure Marian will be put up for some sort of award.... right after she gets checked out for any one of several avian diseases.

US (cough!) Diplomat Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

Just when you think things can't get more bizarre.... you just can't make this stuff up!

John Bolton, the Bush administration's ambassador to the United Nations has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. That's right. The same John Bolton who, when selected for his current post, couldn't get through the Senate confirmation hearings and went to the UN anyway when Bush named him in a recess appointment.

Bolton, along with Kenneth R. Timmerman, was nominated by Sweden's former deputy prime minister and Liberal party leader Per Ahlmark. Note that Ahlmark is a vocal critic of the UN.

United Nations Ambassador John Bolton and longtime Iran investigator Kenneth R. Timmerman were nominated for their repeated warnings and documentation of Iran's secret nuclear buildup and revealing Iran's "repeated lying" and false reports to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Bolton was formerly U.S. Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security and was author of the Proliferation Security Initiative, an international effort to interdict shipments of weapons of mass destruction and related materials, which led to the eventual breakup of the secret nuclear network directed by Pakistan nuclear scientist A. Q. Khan. Bolton repeatedly warned of Iran's nuclear plans.

However, that's not all. Let's not forget that Bolton ran a smear campaign to prevent Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei from taking on a third term as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. ElBaradei flatly disagreed with the Bush administration's assessment of Iraq's weapons programs and, as it happened, turned out to be correct. The administration effort, led by Bolton, included leaking false intelligence about a supposed clandestine Egyptian nuclear program. The information turned out to be completely false. The Bush administration also tapped ElBaradei's phone in an effort to produce evidence that he was in collusion with Iran and their nuclear program. The effort produced no results and Bolton angrily backed off.

ElBaradei and the IAEA went on to win the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for work in curbing international nuclear arms proliferation. Bolton, ever the pit-bull diplomat, refused to offer congratulations.

Bolton, despite this nomination, was actually viewed as a serious problem in the State Department. He was accused of hampering non-proliferation efforts and actually making matters worse. Once he left State, his policies and direction in dealing with nuclear states were reversed.

Let's hope the Nobel Prize committee deliberates long enough to give this nomination all the consideration it deserves - a boot out the door.

Things Harper Hasn't Quite Grasped Yet

Stephen Harper has a serious problem. Instead of a honeymoon, with either the Canadian flock of press pundits or the Canadian public, he's standing out in the open with his fly down and his head cocked. He can't seem to fathom that the label coming for his head is attached to a large piece of ash wood and reads "Louisville Slugger".

Part way through the last election there was a general feeling in this country that we didn't need another election for some time to come. The life-expectancy of the Conservative government is estimated to be anywhere from 18 months to three years. I would suggest that if a poll were taken right now, those numbers would drop significantly.

Harper, who has formed a government with 36.3% of the popular vote from a 61% voter turnout, (which means he has less than 22% support of the Canadian voting population), is behaving as though he swept the country on January 23rd. He wasn't Prime Minister for more than 15 minutes when the bombshells began to drop and they seriously irritated most Canadians.

Perhaps Harper felt as though Canadians would bristle briefly over his surprise cabinet selections and then forget all about it. He dismissed the widespread anger now being expressed as "superficial criticism".

"I expected some of the superficial criticism I've seen," Harper told the Vancouver Sun in an interview.

The telling word in that line is "some". He didn't expect a wave of disbelief and outrage, and there's a good bet that he totally miscalculated the reaction of the constituents of Vancouver-Kingsway who are busy demanding David Emerson return all the campaign funding he received and have started a petition to recall Emerson. Attempting to write off criticism as superficial is dangerous at the least. The criticism runs deep and insulting all those critics as "superficial" will only garner more criticism.

Something he should keep in mind about Emerson. If he'll do it with you; he'll do it to you.

Harper, in explaining his choices provides little in the way of reasons short of empty platitudes:

"I think once people sit back and reflect, they'll understand that this is in the best interests of not just British Columbia but frankly of good government," Harper said. "I think I was clear what I did and why I did it."

Really?!! Shorter Harper: Canadians are too stupid to understand so I won't waste my time. In any case, he might have been able to soothe the feelings of Emerson's constituents and didn't bother. The appointment of Fortier, who couldn't be bothered with an election, cannot be explained away. It flies in the face of parliamentary democracy. In any case, it goes in politics that if you have to explain it, it's already a problem and it's already lost.

Of course there is now the incredible discontent in his own party. Some Conservative MPs are hesitant to return to their ridings knowing they will have to explain Harper's actions to stalwart party supporters as well as those who voted with some misgivings about Harper and his "past" tendencies. Add to this a number of Conservative MPs who might have expected cabinet appointments and didn't get them. Things are going to take some time to settle down, particularly since that scab will be picked at for some time to come.

Harper has another problem: provincial premiers. Despite his pledges to trash deals made by the previous Liberal government, provincial premiers aren't likely to buy it. If he had taken over with a majority or even a stronger minority, he might have been able to get away with it. Not so now. Most premiers view Harper as having very little political traction and a government hanging on the edge of an abyss. Where the premiers might have made a lot of noise and been powerless to stop any plans Harper had for early child-care agreements, they are in a position to simply overpower him. It will turn Ottawa-bashing into a whole new sport, and the provinces have the power-play.

So, no honeymoon for Stephen. Without a single piece of policy, he has managed to find the dark side of federal politics and anger the average Canadian. The opposition needs to get to work. Harper's campaign was rigidly scripted. Now he has to think on his feet and his judgement is clearly lacking.

This government should be brought down at the earliest opportunity.

Rice avoids offending oil buddies over Muslim issue

The woman who rarely gets anything right, got it wrong again today. Condoleezza Rice publicly accused Syria and Iran of instigating riots triggered by cartoons published in a Danish newspaper last September.

"I have no doubt that Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and have used this for their own purposes," Rice said. "The world ought to call them on it."

These are "Axis of Evil" countries. Note that Saudi Arabia isn't mentioned anywhere.

She did not offer specifics during a brief State Department news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The United States accuses Iran and Syria of funding terrorism and has tried to unite world opinion against both Middle Eastern nations.

No specifics. That's not a bad idea since she either has none or would probably have to make them up. She's recruiting for another coalition of the willing again.

There is no doubt that Syria and Iran are involved heavily with this whole issue, but it was the Saudis who first published a raft of editorials, right after the disaster at the Hajj, which whipped this issue into violent reaction.

Bush weighs in:

"We reject violence as a way to express discontent with what may be printed in a free press," he said.

I'm glad he got specific about what areas don't get a violent reaction.

Bush also said that Americans believe in a free press, and added, "With freedom comes the responsibility to be thoughtful about others."

Does that mean you're going to put a muzzle on Rove and stop him from instigating things like this?

Sexual harassment - The School Play

A young fellow in Brockton Massachusetts has just discovered that "zero tolerance" means zero tolerance.

However, the lad is only 6 years old.

Downey Elementary School suspended the 1st grader for three days after he allegedly touched a girl with whom he was playing at the time.

The boy's mother, Berthena Dorinvil, said she "screamed" about last week's suspension from Downey Elementary School, and added her son doesn't know what sexual harassment is.

Y'know, I don't have any clear memories of my 6th year of life. I do, however recall thinking girls were pretty "yucky" back then. This is political correctness gone right off the scale. Given that a six-year-old has not reached puberty, probably has no concept of sex and may simply need a "sandbox etiquette" adjustment, how in hell can he be accused of sexual harassment when he doesn't know what sex is?

Dorinvil said the school principal, Diane Gosselin, called her to pick up her son Jan. 30. She said her son asked the principal if the police were going to come get him.

The school declined comments, citing the child's age. Really? But, the principal is presumably an adult and that's what this is really all about.

It looks like Downey Elementary School needs to review their curriculum.

Feminism 101

I was actually going to add a comment. Then I thought about it for a moment. Naw, Amanda is all over this one.

Although, the guy in the pink panties is definitely a talking point. However, he may be able to retire early. Burt Reynolds will actually have to work to beat that one.