U.S. Sees Likely Al Qaeda WMD Attack Within 2 Years
Is the boy King crying wolf or wagging the dog?
Monday, June 09, 2003
Ministers block removal of Commandments
Theocracy in Action! It appears the School officials or School Board and the County Sheriff did not do their duties. These people impeded a public school from doing its business, which was complying with court order. How could this not be something these fascists could be arrested for? Trespassing, disturbing the peace, protesting on public property without a permit are all possible laws they could have been arrested for. Instead politics weighs in on the situation. The school board and sheriff want to get reelected. Nice. I love it when small town bumpkins can scoff at the law with no recompense. Someone should get a contempt of court citation for this.
This action proves conclusively that placing the Biblical 10 commandments on these school's lawns had a religious purpose. This group is forcing everyone to adhere to their religion, and have ignored the law to do it. I am disgusted by this action. I am all for the individual's right to practice any religion in anyway they choose, as long as it does not infringe on other's rights. These religious zealots want to force people to accept their religion's law more powerful than the American Rule of Law.
As expected Bill Cunningham of WLW is acting irresponsibly and is allowing a kook from Adams County on the air claiming there will be a “fight” to keep the commandments on school grounds. Cunningham’s act of ginning up the dolts of Adams country has potentially dire results. The tone of the man was implying to me that he meant a physical fight, not a figurative one. Based on the prior actions by the other zealots earlier today, it can only be concluded this man is willing to attack people who are following the law, by removing the stone commandments. How “Christian” of him to say such. How “American” of him to reject the rule of law, and instead embrace mob rules. If this is any sign of things to come, then future political confrontations in the coming years are headed to more violent outcomes.
UPDATE: WLW is reporting that some arrests may have been made at one location.
UPDATE #2: WLWT updates the story stating that 10 people were arrested. WLWT indicated that only 10 of the reported 400 protesting were arrested because police did not have enough jail space. One of four stone monuments was removed. Protestors claimed they were going to "guard" the remaining three stone structures. I am using the term "protestor" generously in my opinion, but the article used it correctly in an objective manner.
UPDATE #3: WCPO, ONN, the Canton Repository and of course FOX News's story. Can FOX go a day without covering this type of story?
UPDATE #4: The Enquirer's followup.
Theocracy in Action! It appears the School officials or School Board and the County Sheriff did not do their duties. These people impeded a public school from doing its business, which was complying with court order. How could this not be something these fascists could be arrested for? Trespassing, disturbing the peace, protesting on public property without a permit are all possible laws they could have been arrested for. Instead politics weighs in on the situation. The school board and sheriff want to get reelected. Nice. I love it when small town bumpkins can scoff at the law with no recompense. Someone should get a contempt of court citation for this.
This action proves conclusively that placing the Biblical 10 commandments on these school's lawns had a religious purpose. This group is forcing everyone to adhere to their religion, and have ignored the law to do it. I am disgusted by this action. I am all for the individual's right to practice any religion in anyway they choose, as long as it does not infringe on other's rights. These religious zealots want to force people to accept their religion's law more powerful than the American Rule of Law.
As expected Bill Cunningham of WLW is acting irresponsibly and is allowing a kook from Adams County on the air claiming there will be a “fight” to keep the commandments on school grounds. Cunningham’s act of ginning up the dolts of Adams country has potentially dire results. The tone of the man was implying to me that he meant a physical fight, not a figurative one. Based on the prior actions by the other zealots earlier today, it can only be concluded this man is willing to attack people who are following the law, by removing the stone commandments. How “Christian” of him to say such. How “American” of him to reject the rule of law, and instead embrace mob rules. If this is any sign of things to come, then future political confrontations in the coming years are headed to more violent outcomes.
UPDATE: WLW is reporting that some arrests may have been made at one location.
UPDATE #2: WLWT updates the story stating that 10 people were arrested. WLWT indicated that only 10 of the reported 400 protesting were arrested because police did not have enough jail space. One of four stone monuments was removed. Protestors claimed they were going to "guard" the remaining three stone structures. I am using the term "protestor" generously in my opinion, but the article used it correctly in an objective manner.
UPDATE #3: WCPO, ONN, the Canton Repository and of course FOX News's story. Can FOX go a day without covering this type of story?
UPDATE #4: The Enquirer's followup.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
Man killed in truck in Over- the-Rhine
People who knew him had no idea why he drove 40 into the City. Why would a boiler repairman end up in Cincinnati alone at 12:30 AM? If I were to speculate, I would suppose to buy drugs. I am speculating the police are considering this angle as well. They may have real evidence of such, where I am only guessing. They also may have evidence to infer the man was on a joy ride to the city. Will this man’s death get anyone’s attention? Nope. Number 31 is no more newsworthy than number 30, who ever that was.
People who knew him had no idea why he drove 40 into the City. Why would a boiler repairman end up in Cincinnati alone at 12:30 AM? If I were to speculate, I would suppose to buy drugs. I am speculating the police are considering this angle as well. They may have real evidence of such, where I am only guessing. They also may have evidence to infer the man was on a joy ride to the city. Will this man’s death get anyone’s attention? Nope. Number 31 is no more newsworthy than number 30, who ever that was.
Cincinnati in Black, White and Green
Well, if you want a skewed column filled with basically bigoted rhetoric, this is your article. What do you expect from the Nation of Islam? Well, I expect racist and bigoted columns, and this one fits right in with false claims, and bogus suppositions. All from a UC professor. Who would have guessed?
Well, if you want a skewed column filled with basically bigoted rhetoric, this is your article. What do you expect from the Nation of Islam? Well, I expect racist and bigoted columns, and this one fits right in with false claims, and bogus suppositions. All from a UC professor. Who would have guessed?
Let people decide on flag desecration
Ok, I guess this person would not have a problem with a constitutional amendment outlawing Christianity. The conflict with the first amendment means little to him, we can just wipe away certain elements of religious freedom. Wait, he is a Christian? Well, if the "people" decided to change the law, then I guess he is SOL. This part took the cake:
Ok, I guess this person would not have a problem with a constitutional amendment outlawing Christianity. The conflict with the first amendment means little to him, we can just wipe away certain elements of religious freedom. Wait, he is a Christian? Well, if the "people" decided to change the law, then I guess he is SOL. This part took the cake:
"The notion that flag burning is rare is not an issue, and if the Enquirer was to follow this mind-set they need to withdraw editorial opinion (April 9, 2003) that cross burning, which occurs far more infrequently than flag burning, should be illegal. Our laws are based on right and wrong, not frequency of occurrence. "I wonder if this moron can tell me the last time a flag was burned? I have not heard of it happening anywhere around here, and we all dame well that FOX News would carry it live it happened. What we have seen locally within the last year right here in Southwest Ohio is a cross burning up near Oxford. So no, Mr. Marty Justis, if that is your real name, I don't think you can claim flag burnings happen more than cross burnings. I don't think you can claim that historically most definitively. What I think you should worry about is property rights. If I own a flag, it is my property. Does Mr. Justis want to infringe on my property rights? If that is the case, then I think a few of his fellow conservatives might have a beef with him. It is now against the law to burn a flag you don't own or don't have the permission to burn, and in some places you can only burn things on private property, with permission of the owner. Those obstacles are more than enough to preserves this guy myth of meaning in a his cloth. If he wants to ban something, why not ban the burning of books? Or better yet, ban the burning of the constitution.
Enquirer Editorial: “Iraq's weapons: Threat was there”The title of this editorial should be “Iraq’s weapons: Ends Justify the Means.” The Editorial Board of the Enquirer cares little about lying. They care little that everyone of consequence in the Bush Administration stated Iraq possessed WMD and were trying to gain more, using this claim as the main and most immediate rationale that war against Iraq was for National Security reasons. That claim was either an out right lie, faith in bad intelligence, or miracle brilliance on the part of the Iraqis to destroy or hide their WMD.
I don’t doubt Iraq was trying to gain more WMD, but there was no concrete evidence that Iraq had weapons ready to be used on short notice, thus creating a threat. They might have possessed machines with dual use. They likely had unprocessed materials that could have been used to create WMD. There are many many countries that have the same thing: Syria, Iran, and North Korea being three of the most well known. If there was no immediate threat, then justification for an invasion lies back on the other reasons given: violation of the UN, and deposing of a dictator.
Does this possibility mean war was justified? On the threat of WMD alone, no. Do the other reasons given for going to war justify it, yes, but lying about the only reason involving a threat to the USA does nothing to support it after the fact. Playing bait and switch does not fly. It will fly with Bush loyalists and apathetic idiots, but not to anyone who cares about simple truth.
Do Bush’s remaining reasons for war support his value of leadership? At this point HELL NO! His rationale for war now could and should be used in a dozen plus other countries, but it is clear Bush cannot and will not seek to take military action anywhere in Africa or Southeast Asia, against countries with just as horrible governments as Iraq had. He may look to invade Iran or Syria, killing thousands of American soldiers in the process. That possibility sounds far fetched I know. Invading Iraq sounded just as far fetched to me back in 2001 and early 2002. I believed Bush on the WMD, that although they could likely not be used to hit American soil directly, they could be used to hit Israel or other US allies or International US targets. I believed that Bush would not exaggerate, not rely on weak evidence, and not lie like a dog as a means to justify a war. I do not like Bush as president at all, but I supported the president and assumed he was being mostly honest about going to war. I did not trust Bush, but I honestly believed he would not spin a war like he spun his tax cut. I was wrong. I was a sucker. I expected that the US Military would find munitions loaded with chemical weapons ready to go in some kind of bunker or complex in Baghdad or Tekrit. At this point, none have been found. I assume we are correctly looking for them, but I don’t trust the Bush Administration to be looking for them. If they find anything now, it will be difficult to trust what they find. They may still find something. All they may find now is either traces of materials used to make WMD, or if they are lucky, large amounts of materials used to make WMD. I doubt they will find much any of anything supporting a viable capability to use or easily produce WMD.
Will Bush suffer for misleading the country? Only a little bit, assuming he does not get “lucky” and find something consequential. Bush supporters will allow the man do anything he wants with little or no response. Those who opposed Bush before will still oppose Bush. The rest, well, that is where it remains to be seen. If the mainstream media does its job and finds the truth on the WMD, and asks about it constantly right up to November 2004, then Bush on paper should be defeated. If the media slacks off, or lets Bush off, then little will change based on this issue alone. The media so far has slowly been working on the story. The true test will be how they react to the campaign of denials and revisionism from the Bush Gang. As long as the media does not let Bush and company try and claim that the presence of WMD did not matter and the ends are all that matters, then the truth may come out. If the media instead follows Bush like a lemming, as the Enquirer has done, then I am afraid Bush will have been allowed to wage war on false pretenses.
I don’t doubt Iraq was trying to gain more WMD, but there was no concrete evidence that Iraq had weapons ready to be used on short notice, thus creating a threat. They might have possessed machines with dual use. They likely had unprocessed materials that could have been used to create WMD. There are many many countries that have the same thing: Syria, Iran, and North Korea being three of the most well known. If there was no immediate threat, then justification for an invasion lies back on the other reasons given: violation of the UN, and deposing of a dictator.
Does this possibility mean war was justified? On the threat of WMD alone, no. Do the other reasons given for going to war justify it, yes, but lying about the only reason involving a threat to the USA does nothing to support it after the fact. Playing bait and switch does not fly. It will fly with Bush loyalists and apathetic idiots, but not to anyone who cares about simple truth.
Do Bush’s remaining reasons for war support his value of leadership? At this point HELL NO! His rationale for war now could and should be used in a dozen plus other countries, but it is clear Bush cannot and will not seek to take military action anywhere in Africa or Southeast Asia, against countries with just as horrible governments as Iraq had. He may look to invade Iran or Syria, killing thousands of American soldiers in the process. That possibility sounds far fetched I know. Invading Iraq sounded just as far fetched to me back in 2001 and early 2002. I believed Bush on the WMD, that although they could likely not be used to hit American soil directly, they could be used to hit Israel or other US allies or International US targets. I believed that Bush would not exaggerate, not rely on weak evidence, and not lie like a dog as a means to justify a war. I do not like Bush as president at all, but I supported the president and assumed he was being mostly honest about going to war. I did not trust Bush, but I honestly believed he would not spin a war like he spun his tax cut. I was wrong. I was a sucker. I expected that the US Military would find munitions loaded with chemical weapons ready to go in some kind of bunker or complex in Baghdad or Tekrit. At this point, none have been found. I assume we are correctly looking for them, but I don’t trust the Bush Administration to be looking for them. If they find anything now, it will be difficult to trust what they find. They may still find something. All they may find now is either traces of materials used to make WMD, or if they are lucky, large amounts of materials used to make WMD. I doubt they will find much any of anything supporting a viable capability to use or easily produce WMD.
Will Bush suffer for misleading the country? Only a little bit, assuming he does not get “lucky” and find something consequential. Bush supporters will allow the man do anything he wants with little or no response. Those who opposed Bush before will still oppose Bush. The rest, well, that is where it remains to be seen. If the mainstream media does its job and finds the truth on the WMD, and asks about it constantly right up to November 2004, then Bush on paper should be defeated. If the media slacks off, or lets Bush off, then little will change based on this issue alone. The media so far has slowly been working on the story. The true test will be how they react to the campaign of denials and revisionism from the Bush Gang. As long as the media does not let Bush and company try and claim that the presence of WMD did not matter and the ends are all that matters, then the truth may come out. If the media instead follows Bush like a lemming, as the Enquirer has done, then I am afraid Bush will have been allowed to wage war on false pretenses.
Saturday, June 07, 2003
Martha Stewart: Living sucks these days!
Ilene Huffman from XRAY Magazine vents on the Martha Stewart scandal. I too have little pity for, especially after watching the NBC TV movie Martha, Inc. I normally don't watch TV movies, but it is TV summer, so little else was on. The movie made Martha out to an obsessive bitch, bent on world domination. Well, not world domination, but domination of a big chunk of it.
Ilene Huffman from XRAY Magazine vents on the Martha Stewart scandal. I too have little pity for, especially after watching the NBC TV movie Martha, Inc. I normally don't watch TV movies, but it is TV summer, so little else was on. The movie made Martha out to an obsessive bitch, bent on world domination. Well, not world domination, but domination of a big chunk of it.
Jailed Juror Hires High-Profile Attorney
Do you have to ask who this attorney is? Or do you trust your instincts?
Do you have to ask who this attorney is? Or do you trust your instincts?
WCIN sues Etta James (Last Item)
WCIN's 50th anniversary celebration June 2 ended on a bad note when Grammy winning singer Etta James failed to take the Stage at the Cincinnati Zoo's Pavilion. According to the Cincinnati Herald’s front page story, the lawsuit claims that
Note: The Cincinnati Herald has no known website to provide a link to their story.
WCIN's 50th anniversary celebration June 2 ended on a bad note when Grammy winning singer Etta James failed to take the Stage at the Cincinnati Zoo's Pavilion. According to the Cincinnati Herald’s front page story, the lawsuit claims that
"While the Blind Boys of Alabama performed, Defendant Jamesetta Hawkins (Etta James) refused, offering no reasonable explanation or one recognized in the contract between parties."Ms. James who is 65 years old, did not go on because she believed WCIN could not pay her, according to the Cincinnati Post story. As of now, the Boycott B gang is not claiming responsibility. No report was made of any protests at the event.
Note: The Cincinnati Herald has no known website to provide a link to their story.
Friday, June 06, 2003
Some In Cincinnati Have Misgivings About Tax On Visiting Athletes
It appears the Boycott B's Nate Livingston had a valid point that this law was in effect, something I did not know. (A mea culpa) What is unclear is that this law affects Ava Muhammad from the Nation of Islam, as I posted here. Her status under this law is debatable, but she is not a professional entertainer or professional athlete. I assume Nate is claiming she is a professional entertainer. Nate is still making a federal case out of this issue and I don’t know why. NOI is a racist group, but so is the Black Fist, an endorser of Nate’s Boycott B. I guess Nate is cooking a red herring up in the form of his faux attack on the NOI. I will now just await another email calling me names.
It appears the Boycott B's Nate Livingston had a valid point that this law was in effect, something I did not know. (A mea culpa) What is unclear is that this law affects Ava Muhammad from the Nation of Islam, as I posted here. Her status under this law is debatable, but she is not a professional entertainer or professional athlete. I assume Nate is claiming she is a professional entertainer. Nate is still making a federal case out of this issue and I don’t know why. NOI is a racist group, but so is the Black Fist, an endorser of Nate’s Boycott B. I guess Nate is cooking a red herring up in the form of his faux attack on the NOI. I will now just await another email calling me names.
CalPundit: Hillary-NRO Smackdown!
Kevin Drums finds that "...Howell Raines isn't the only editor who knows how to flood the zone."
Kevin Drums finds that "...Howell Raines isn't the only editor who knows how to flood the zone."
Thursday, June 05, 2003
WNKU to showcase local music
Where do you have to go to get local music? Public radio stations. Clear Channel can't risk anything, so they wouldn't want to showcase local talent, when they can just plug in a direct from factory band, complete with pre-made image and merchandising contract.
Where do you have to go to get local music? Public radio stations. Clear Channel can't risk anything, so they wouldn't want to showcase local talent, when they can just plug in a direct from factory band, complete with pre-made image and merchandising contract.
Mayor poses election change
Who actually opposes changing how city council is elected? I don't think the Republican's are to keen on it, with Monzel's apathetic statement:
Of the three plans out there I like Democrat Donald Driehaus's plan of 7 district seats and 3 at large. Brinkman wants 15 seats, which seems far to many, and Schlagetter stated he likes the idea of proportional representation, which has the taint rewarding the little guy a bit to much. The basic fight will be on where you draw the districts. If the recent episode in Texas is any example, that process could get very ugly. Race will of course be the pink elephant in room for that process. This idea was one of the original boycott demands, and from the boycotters perspective they idea was to get more blacks on council, or at least gerrymander the districts to guarantee a minimum number would make it on council, almost a back door quota.
Luken is wise to get out front of this issue with the proposal to hold public hearings on the issue. The problem with all of the plans so far is that they lack details. Luken's process has the potential of giving the public a chance to learn about the plans, voice opinions on them, and attract support for what hopefully will end up being a broadly supported Charter Amendment. I hope the process to form districts has a mostly objective criteria as its basis, otherwise the process will become a pissing mach for power among power hungry interest groups. Your Price Hill groups, Hyde Park cartel, and boycotters all will scream about this or that, leaving little room for compromise. If those groups have the courage to be objective this might work, but that is a pipe dream. The worry that will be more cause for concern is long term: neighborhood competition for funding. Council members will be expected to bring home the bacon for their constituents. At-large council members can only provide minor balance to what will surely be a rancorous battle with the Downtown councilman and the Price Hill Councilman and the Avondale Councilman all battling for dollars. No Whammies, Big Money….Stop!!!
Other Coverage: Post, ONN, Canton Repository, WCPO, WKRC, and City Beat
Who actually opposes changing how city council is elected? I don't think the Republican's are to keen on it, with Monzel's apathetic statement:
"It wasn't tainted by the politics of City Hall. Coming from the inside, I don't know if it will have legs," Monzel said. "But we'll see."Uber-conservative Tom Brinkman is for a change, along with Charterite John Schlagetter. If elements of all three parties favor change, then is the only conflict when to change and what the structure of the revised council would resemble.
Of the three plans out there I like Democrat Donald Driehaus's plan of 7 district seats and 3 at large. Brinkman wants 15 seats, which seems far to many, and Schlagetter stated he likes the idea of proportional representation, which has the taint rewarding the little guy a bit to much. The basic fight will be on where you draw the districts. If the recent episode in Texas is any example, that process could get very ugly. Race will of course be the pink elephant in room for that process. This idea was one of the original boycott demands, and from the boycotters perspective they idea was to get more blacks on council, or at least gerrymander the districts to guarantee a minimum number would make it on council, almost a back door quota.
Luken is wise to get out front of this issue with the proposal to hold public hearings on the issue. The problem with all of the plans so far is that they lack details. Luken's process has the potential of giving the public a chance to learn about the plans, voice opinions on them, and attract support for what hopefully will end up being a broadly supported Charter Amendment. I hope the process to form districts has a mostly objective criteria as its basis, otherwise the process will become a pissing mach for power among power hungry interest groups. Your Price Hill groups, Hyde Park cartel, and boycotters all will scream about this or that, leaving little room for compromise. If those groups have the courage to be objective this might work, but that is a pipe dream. The worry that will be more cause for concern is long term: neighborhood competition for funding. Council members will be expected to bring home the bacon for their constituents. At-large council members can only provide minor balance to what will surely be a rancorous battle with the Downtown councilman and the Price Hill Councilman and the Avondale Councilman all battling for dollars. No Whammies, Big Money….Stop!!!
Other Coverage: Post, ONN, Canton Repository, WCPO, WKRC, and City Beat
Queen City Soapbox: Ethan Hahn on Bronson on Art. Ethan shares my view that Peter Bronson's opinions on art are not worth the canvass they are painted on.
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Women's World Cup may come here
This is great news, but the last sentence makes me worry.
This is great news, but the last sentence makes me worry.
"The Bengals are conducting the negotiations with the soccer federation."With the Browns in charge, failure is only a few press briefings away.
Bronson: Is that art or a joke?
Once again Peter has demonstrated his lack of any desire to see life beyond the steak and potato mindset. Art to Peter is supposed to be comfortable, like shag carpet. Peter should stick to "Dogs Playing Poker," or even a velvet Elvis. He can keep the milquetoast; let the willing souls take on the challenge of something outside the typical, and even a bit over the edge. If you don't live a little bit beyond the norm, then normal is all you care about, and bland is all you will be.
UPDATE: Artist Zhang Huan and a Doberman Pinscher in color from the Post. This is even less offensive than I thought. I actually find it interesting.
Once again Peter has demonstrated his lack of any desire to see life beyond the steak and potato mindset. Art to Peter is supposed to be comfortable, like shag carpet. Peter should stick to "Dogs Playing Poker," or even a velvet Elvis. He can keep the milquetoast; let the willing souls take on the challenge of something outside the typical, and even a bit over the edge. If you don't live a little bit beyond the norm, then normal is all you care about, and bland is all you will be.
UPDATE: Artist Zhang Huan and a Doberman Pinscher in color from the Post. This is even less offensive than I thought. I actually find it interesting.
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Harold McKinney is reportedly running for Cincinnati City Council. Local TV stations reported tonight that Mr. McKinny will soon officially announce his candidacy. Mr. McKinny, called the Northside Vigilante, was cleared last month on charges stemming from a shooting in bar during an alleged robbery. His actions are an astute political move, but are a morally reprehensible exploitation of vigilante justice.
UPDATE: WKRC and WCPO's Stories.
UPDATE: WKRC and WCPO's Stories.
New York's 'Naked Cowboy' Grins and Bares It
I don' know if we want to claim him, but Naked Cowboy got his start here in Cincinnati. I even saw him myself at Taste of Cincinnati several years ago.
I don' know if we want to claim him, but Naked Cowboy got his start here in Cincinnati. I even saw him myself at Taste of Cincinnati several years ago.
'Matrix' influence examined in slayings
I have not yet seen either of the Matrix movies. This is a reason that makes me want to see both of them, but this should scare my friends and coworkers. (cough, cough)
I have not yet seen either of the Matrix movies. This is a reason that makes me want to see both of them, but this should scare my friends and coworkers. (cough, cough)
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