Posts from — July 2013

People are rightly upset about the blatant violations of their Four Amendment rights being carried out under the cover of the War on Terror™ but that is only one of the rights that is being routinely ignored by our government these days.

Badtux noted about a week ago that the Department of Justice had filed charges against Edward Snowden in Alexandria, Virginia, an area with a high concentration of current and former members of the intelligence community and its contractors.

If you look at The Bill of Rights you will see:

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Edward Snowden wasn’t in Alexandria, Virginia, so the alleged crimes could not have taken place there. The evidence and witnesses are in Hawaii, so the trial is supposed to take place in Hawaii, which is a state, and has Federal courts. Changes of venue are matters for judges to decide, not the Department of Justice.

It is beginning to look like Snowden may have been hired for his cracking skills, rather than system administration. If that is true, then he was just doing his job, wasn’t he?

Castres to Ax-3-Domaines

Distance: 195 kilometers.

Welcome to the Pyrenees. I hope you have comfortable shoes, because you will the standing on them for most of the last 50 km of this stage.

It starts with the category 4 Côte de Saint-Ferréol about 25 km into the race and then it is rolling hills for 150 km and the sprint. That was the easy part, now things get serious. The last quarter of the stage involves climbing the Hors Catégorie Col de Pailhères [15.3 km at an average 8% grade, 2001 meters (6565 feet)] and then 1800 meters downhill before you climb the category 1 Ax 3 Domaines [7.8 km at an average 8.3% grade, 1375 meters (4511 feet)] and the finish line.

Today was the Froome/Quintana show. Christopher Froome took the Stage, the Yellow, and the Polka Dot, while Nairo Quintana took the White, Red Numbers, and helped his team take the Yellow Numbers.

The Col de Pailhères was the highest point on this year’s Tour at 2001 meters, Quintana was born in Tunja, Colombia which is 800 meters higher, so he doesn’t have a problem with altitude, or riding up mountains. He is in fourth for the Polka Dot 6 points behind Froome, which is one good climb.

At the end Christopher Froome just went for it, and brought Richie Porte with him on the climb up Ax 3 Domaines as everyone else faded. Quintana helped his captain, Alejandro Valverde, but Froome quite simply still had energy left while most of the field had left theirs on the climb up the Col.

Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 ) [Yellow] 32h 15′ 55″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 234 points
Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 051 ) [Polka Dot] 31 points
Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas ( Col – MOV – 128 ) 9 [White]

Team: Movistar ( MOV – 121-129 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 )
Combative: Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas ( Col – MOV – 128 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 )
2 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 006 ) + 00′ 51″
3 Alejandro Valverde ( Esp – MOV – 121 ) + 01′ 25″
4 Bauke Mollema ( Ned – BEL – 164 ) + 01′ 44″
5 Laurens Ten Dam ( Ned – BEL – 167 ) + 01′ 50″
6 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – TST – 094 ) + 01′ 51″
7 Alberto Contador ( Esp – TST – 091 ) + 01′ 51″
8 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas ( Col – MOV – 128 ) + 02′ 02″
9 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver ( Esp – KAT – 101 ) + 02′ 31″
10 Michael Rogers ( Aus – TST – 098 ) + 02′ 40″

The Rest of the Top 30:
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Froggy Weather

Where’s the food?

[Editor: Froggy is the only cat I’ve seen outside in the last three days. It stopped raining long enough for me to fill the feeding stations.]

Friday Ark

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a

* Flood Warning for Okaloosa County in northwest Florida until 1100 PM CDT Friday…

* High surf advisory now in effect until 7 PM CDT Saturday…

* High rip current risk now in effect through Saturday evening…

* Flash Flood Watch now in effect through Sunday morning…

* A strong thunderstorm will affect southern Okaloosa County in
northwest Florida through 115 PM CDT…

Update: There was a tornado East of me that came from that thunderstorm. It is still raining, but not as hard.

For those with an interest: gopherwood was probably cedar and a cubit is about 18 inches [elbow to the tip of your middle finger (hur,hur,hur…)].

The mushrooms have gotten moldy, and the mold has mildew on it. This has been going on for a week to the ‘delight’ of the local tourist industry.

It stopped raining long enough for the local fireworks display which took place inside the low lying clouds. They would save a lot of money if they just used a bank of subwoofers and a few lasers and projectors.

Needless to say it has been a while since I have seen any cats, inside or out.

Montpellier to Albi

Distance: 205.5 kilometers.

The first quarter of the stage is rolling hills, but then you start climbing. First is the category 3 Col des 13 Vents, which is followed immediately by the toughest climb so far, the category 2 Col de la Croix de Mounis. After about 25 km up at 800 meters, you drop down for the sprint. That is followed by the category 3 climb up the Côte de la Quintaine and then 20 km to the category 4 Côte de Teillet. After that climb there is a 35 km downhill race to the finish in Albi.

Peter Sagan finally won a stage after being second on several of them. His team set the pace and reduced the number of sprinters available to challenge him at the end. The climbs just took it out of many of them who lacked the support that Cannondale provided Sagan.

Blel Kadri also received help from his team to take the Polka Dot Jersey by a single point as the climb up Col de la Croix de Mounis was the real focus of the stage. That’s where Kadri took the Polka Dots and where Sagan was set up for the stage win.

This stage was a prime example of how important teams are to the success of individual riders. The ‘domestiques’ sacrifice their strength and race positions to promote the cause of their team’s principal rider.

Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 ) [Yellow] 27h 12′ 29″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 224 points
Blel Kadri ( Fra – ALM – 087 ) [Polka Dot] 12 points
Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) 5 [White]

Team: Orica-GreenEdge ( OGE – 181-189 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 )
Combative: Jan Bakelants ( Bel – RLT – 042 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 )
2 Edvald Boasson Hagen ( Nor – SKY – 002 ) + 00′ 03″
3 Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 ) + 00′ 05″
4 Michael Albasini ( Sui – OGE – 182 ) + 00′ 05″
5 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) + 00′ 06″
6 Sylvain Chavanel ( Fra – OPQ – 152 ) + 00′ 06″
7 Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 ) + 00′ 08″
8 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 006 ) + 00′ 08″
9 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – TST – 097 ) + 00′ 14″
10 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – TST – 094 ) + 00′ 14″

The Rest of the Top 30:
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Aix-en-Provence to Montpellier

Distance: 176.5 kilometers.

Stage six starts with the first third being mostly down hill, then the sprint followed by the category 4 Col de la Vayède. The sprinters should be out at the front.

Daryl Impey took the Yellow because his teammate, Simon Gerrans, wasn’t able to chase when the group they were in split at the end and he could maintain the team’s hold on the Jersey rather than surrender it to Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen.

The riders were having to deal with crosswinds, and André Greipel did it better than anyone else on the stage, taking the win and the Red Numbers for his efforts. Mark Cavendish had to settle for fourth on the stage when he lost time and a bike to a crash 33 km from the finish.

A crash at the finish of yesterday’s race knocked Jurgen Van Den Broeck [knee] and Maxime Bouet [wrist] out of the race. Given the wind-related crashes today, there will probably be more non-starters tomorrow.

Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 ) [Yellow] 22h 18′ 17″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 159 points
Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 051 ) [Polka Dot] 10 points
Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) 5 [White]

Team: Orica-GreenEdge ( OGE – 181-189 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: André Greipel ( Ger – LTB – 024 )
Combative: André Greipel ( Ger – LTB – 024 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 )
2 Edvald Boasson Hagen ( Nor – SKY – 002 ) + 00′ 03″
3 Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 ) + 00′ 05″
4 Michael Albasini ( Sui – OGE – 182 ) + 00′ 05″
5 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) + 00′ 06″
6 Sylvain Chavanel ( Fra – OPQ – 152 ) + 00′ 06″
7 Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 ) + 00′ 08″
8 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 006 ) + 00′ 08″
9 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – TST – 097 ) + 00′ 14″
10 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – TST – 094 ) + 00′ 14″

The Rest of the Top 30:
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The Declaration of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…

Independence wasn’t really achieved until September 3, 1783 when Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, and, to be factual, our current government only dates from March 4, 1789 when the first government under our Constitution was installed.

Liberty was not extended to all men until December 6, 1865 with ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery, nor were women given the one of the most important rights of men until August 26, 1920 with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment recognizing their votes.

In truth, until July 2, 1964 when Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, there was no mechanism to force government to recognize the rights of all American citizens.

At some point, depending on the time zone of the Internet Defense League, the banner will appear on the this site and stay up for the next 24 hours.

This is part of a protest over the loss of privacy caused by the blatant flaunting of Fourth Amendment rights by the current and previous administrations with the acquiescence of Congress, and the courts.

As Americans celebrate the Fourth of July they should keep in mind that the Declaration of Independence was signed by men who were well aware that their signatures would be considered acts of treason, and subject them to a death sentence. They consciously chose freedom over safety.

If you read The Bill of Rights you will see:

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

That wording and meaning can only be changed by amending the Constitution. All laws must conform to it unless it is amended. The supporters of the unConstitutional surveillance will claim that ‘the Constitution isn’t a suicide pact’. They are correct, it isn’t. It is the law of land that provides the structure and ideals that make the United States possible. If you ignore it, you may have something left, but it won’t be the United States of America.

The BBC reported that the Bolivia leader’s jet diverted ‘amid Snowden suspicions’:

Bolivian President Evo Morales’s plane had to be diverted to Austria amid suspicion that US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden was on board, the Bolivian foreign minister has said.

Officials in both Austria and Bolivia said Mr Snowden was not on the plane.

France and Portugal reportedly refused to allow the Bolivia-bound flight to cross their airspace.

Based on the non-denial denials coming from various European foreign ministers, they really did commit a major diplomatic faux pas and blocked the passage of a diplomatic overflight based on bad intelligence.

Meanwhile, it is my considered opinion that top FSB officials are ROFL having suckered the US for the second time about Snowden leaving. The first time, only journalists were made to look monumentally stupid, but this time the US government embarrassed multiple NATO members while enraging yet another major natural gas producing nation.

Cagnes-sur-Mer to Marseille

Distance: 228.5 kilometers.

Stage five is a return to the hills. It starts with Côte de Châteauneuf-Grasse, a category 3, then hills until Col de l’Ange, category 4. They inserted a sprint at the midpoint, but it certainly isn’t on the flat. It finishes with a pair of category 4s, Côte de la Roquebrussanne and Côte des Bastides with 10 km to the finish. Not a real mountain stage, but nothing for the true sprinters.

SuperManx, Mark Cavendish, has picked stage win 24, while the Jerseys remain unchanged. With six teammates to provide him with a launch at the end of the race, it was a foregone conclusion. He is one win away from tying for third in the all-time standings with André Leducq.

Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 ) [Yellow] 18h 19′ 15″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 111 points
Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 051 ) [Polka Dot] 10 points
Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) 4 [White]

Team: Orica-GreenEdge ( OGE – 181-189 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Mark Cavendish ( GB – OPQ – 151 )
Combative: Thomas De Gendt ( Bel – VCD – 203 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 )
2 Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 ) + 00′ 00″
3 Michael Albasini ( Sui – OGE – 182 ) + 00′ 00″
4 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) + 00′ 01″
5 Sylvain Chavanel ( Fra – OPQ – 152 ) + 00′ 01″
6 Edvald Boasson Hagen ( Nor – SKY – 002 ) + 00′ 03″
7 Christopher Froome ( GB – SKY – 001 ) + 00′ 03″
8 Richie Porte ( Aus – SKY – 006 ) + 00′ 03″
9 Nicolas Roche ( Irl – TST – 097 ) + 00′ 09″
10 Roman Kreuziger ( Cze – TST – 094 ) + 00′ 09″

The Rest of the Top 30:

[Read more →]

I was looking for a new stats supplier because Sitemeter apparently doesn’t have provisions for SSL secured sites, and ran across IPnoid, which doesn’t either, but whose front page reminded me of all the metadata that gets sucked up by the various page counters. I have decided that I don’t really care, and will just remove Sitemeter and Feedjit when it is time to reduce the cookie overload that people are under.

I was checking on I Can Has Cheezburger? to see what I could do about my favorite LOLs, and discovered that they have already made the matter moot by changing their file system. None of my existing links to their content work anymore. That certainly wasn’t a very friendly thing to do to those of us that followed their rules, and used their code for linking.

Nice

Distance: 25 kilometers.

Stage four is the team time trials. The time awarded is that of the fifth rider on the team to cross the finish line.

With 72 of the riders trailing the leader by a second, expect some major changes in the standings after this stage. Sky does extremely well at team time trials, and RadioShack-Leopard only has a one second lead over the other teams.

Orica-GreenEdge took it and have a three second lead over Sky. This handed the Yellow to Simon Gerrans.

There is no stage winner or Combative awarded for this stage.

Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 ) [Yellow] 12h 47′ 24″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 74 points
Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 051 ) [Polka Dot] 10 points
Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) 4 [White]

Team: Orica-GreenEdge ( OGE – 181-189 ) [Yellow numbers]

Team Standings.

1 Orica Greenedge OGE
2 Sky SKY + 00′ 03″
3 Saxo Bank Tinkoff TST + 00′ 09″
4 Garmin-Sharp GRS + 00′ 17″
5 Movistar Team MOV + 00′ 20″
6 Lampre – Merida LAM + 00′ 25″
7 BMC BMC + 00′ 26″
8 RadioShack – Leopard RLT + 00′ 28″
9 Katusha KAT + 00′ 28″
10 Vacansoleil-DCM VCD + 00′ 33″
11 Belkin BEL + 00′ 37″
12 FDJ FDJ + 00′ 42″
13 Astana AST + 00′ 56″
14 AG2R La Mondiale ALM + 01′ 04″
15 Sojasun SOJ + 01′ 10″
16 Europcar EUC + 01′ 13″
17 Cofidis, Solutions Credits COF + 01′ 20″
18 Euskaltel – Euskadi EUS + 01′ 24″
19 Cannondale CAN + 01′ 57″
20 Lotto – Belisol LTB + 13′ 00″
21 Omega Pharma – Quick Step OPQ + 17′ 35″
22 Argos – Shimano ARG + 53′ 30″

[Read more →]

MsExPat at Corrente reports from Hong Kong that Snowden Sends a Communique from Moscow. The basic message is that the government is afraid that people are going to get angry about being spied upon by their government.

Charlie Pierce notes in The Snowden Effect, Continued, that the administration is lying to Congress as well as the American people about what they are doing, and are finally being forced to admit it.

And in Joining the Ranks of Outlaw Regimes, ‘Noz notes that in bugging the EU offices the US has violated US law because we signed the Vienna Convention that forbids that sort of thing.

Before this is over the US is going to save a lot of money as US personal are told to leave and US facilities are shut down by Europe. It’s to the point that the only thing from the US that the Europeans may be willing to accept is Edward Snowden. The Green Party in Germany has already suggested it.

Angela Merkel grew up in East Germany and was well aware of the activities of the Stasi, so she is not likely to downplay what the US has been doing. She has political problems of her own and isn’t going to borrow any from the US.

Ajaccio to Calvi

Distance: 145.5 kilometers.

Stage three is for the mountain climbers. You start with a category 4 climb, Col de San Bastiano, then drop back down for the only flat part of the run, which includes a sprint. Having gotten your legs stretched in the sprint it is time for a category 3 climb up Col de San Martino, a descent followed by the category 3 climb up Côte de Porto. Côte de Porto looks insignificant, only 161 meters high, but the road is much steeper than the two climbs that precede it. It is followed by 25 km of hills that don’t quite make it to the category 4 status. Waiting for you after all of the ‘hills’ is the category 2 climb over Col de Marsolino. The good news is after you crawl to the top, you can coast down to the finish line, for the end of your Corsican adventure.

Jan Bakelants hung on to his one second overall lead for another stage until the team time trials in Nice. Peter Sagan took the Green, but didn’t quite have the strength to overtake Simon Gerrans at the finish line. Simon Clarke earned his Red numbers helping to set up his teammate, Gerrans for the stage win, and harvested enough points to be second for the Polka Dot.

Two riders failed to finish as the injuries take their toll. Geraint Thomas is still riding despite a pelvic fracture, probably hair-line, that will get much worse if he has another accident.

Jan Bakelants ( Bel – RLT – 042 ) [Yellow] 12h 21′ 27″
Peter Sagan ( Svk – CAN – 011 ) [Green] 74 points
Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 051 ) [Polka Dot] 10 points
Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) 4 [White]

Team: RadioShack-Leopard ( RLT – 041-049 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 )
Combative: Simon Clarke ( Aus – OGE – 183 ) [Red numbers]

Top Ten:

1 Jan Bakelants ( Bel – RLT – 042 )
2 Julien Simon ( Fra – SOJ – 218 ) + 00′ 01″
3 Simon Gerrans ( Aus – OGE – 181 ) + 00′ 01″
4 Michal Kwiatkowski ( Pol – OPQ – 153 ) + 00′ 01″
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen ( Nor – SKY – 002 ) + 00′ 01″
6 Daryl Impey ( RSA – OGE – 185 ) + 00′ 01″
7 David Millar ( GB – GRS – 176 ) + 00′ 01″
8 Sergey Lagutin ( Uzb – VCD – 206 ) + 00′ 01″
9 Cadel Evans ( Aus – BMC – 031 ) + 00′ 01″
10 Romain Bardet ( Fra – ALM – 082 ) + 00′ 01″

The Rest of the Top 30:
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