Category — Uncategorized

Go see Keith at the Invisible Library to learn about J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard, just purchased by Amazon.com for £1,950,000 [about $3.9 million].

There is a lot of misinformation winging around the ‘Tubes about the Baptists and I would like to clear a few things up because I know something about the situation.

I attended a Baptist university, Colgate in Hamilton, New York [yes, same as the toothpaste because when the Colgate family owned the Colgate Soap and Candle Company, they donated a lot of money]. I learned later that a distant relative was one of the founders of the institution in 1819 to train Baptist ministers.

In the middle of the 19th century the Baptists split into two factions on the issue of slavery and the Southern Baptists became a separate group. Each of the two main groups, the American and Southern Baptists have spun off smaller groups over various points of dogma.

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The CBS headline gets it right [for a change]: Republicans Stop Bill To Ban Waterboarding

(CBS/AP) Senate Republicans blocked a bill Friday that would restrict the interrogation methods the CIA can use against terrorism suspects.

The bill would require the CIA to adhere to the Army’s field manual on interrogation, which bans waterboarding, mock executions and other harsh interrogation methods.
…

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Muqtada al Sadr disappeared from public for a while and the American agitprop people did their best to convince everyone that he was in hiding in Iran, and attempt to implicate Iran and “blacken” al Sadr with Iraqis.

The Associated Press is now reporting that al Sadr is going to graduate school to increase his clerical credentials.

Dr. Cole has a more accurate assessment of what al Sadr is doing, and why it is important.

Officially and formally he is Hojatoleslam Sayyid Muqtada Al Sadir: the first title is the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, and the second indicates that he is a descendant of the Prophet and entitled to wear a black turban. He acquired his degree in Najaf, at the Hawsa, one of the most important Shi’ia universities, the equivalent of Oxford in the English speaking world.

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In it’s never-ending quest to maintain its record as the most grounded aircraft to ever enter the military inventory, Susie notes that the Osprey is once again waiting for parts. This time it’s an engine problem that causes fires.

I saw my first and last Osprey back in May, and you have to look in maintenance hangars to see one these days. There are four stationed at Hurlburt Field with the 8^th Special Operations Squadron, but they haven’t been doing much flying.

As Badtux has noted, the Osprey requires a computer to control the tilting of the wing. On an Osprey the “blue screen of death” is not a metaphor.

I wonder how you say stainless steel colander™ in Farsi?

In discussing the spin on the NIE in Washington and Iran, Farideh Farhi of Informed Comment Global Affairs notes that relatives and friends in Iran are talking about the possibility of a secret alliance between the Shrubbery and Ahmadinejad. From the point of view of an Iranian democracy advocate, the Hedgemony’s tactics in dealing with Iran are overshadowing other problems in the country that weaken the ultra-conservatives that Ahmadinejad represents.

Those crazy Persian democracy advocates. I mean the thought of the neonitwits aligning with conservatives in the Iranian power structure is just crazy, right? Ehh, Right‽

Sean-Paul at the Agonist asks an interesting question – Iran Nuclear Program: If It Stopped In 2003 When Did It Start? And Where’s The Proof?

Well, now, the proof of the program is a bit of a problem, isn’t it, because the record seems to indicate that majority of intelligence about the military program comes from the MEK/PMOI, who lost a lot of their internal Iranian support by moving to Iraq and seemingly allying with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War. It is a bit of a stretch to assume that they had infiltrated a highly secure, tightly controlled operation like a nuclear weapons program after that war. The political side of the group, the PMOI, is amazingly similar to Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress which delivered such “sterling” intelligence about WMDs in Iraq. They might know something, but anything they give you would need to be independently verified.

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The BBC reports that Lebanon postpones vote yet again

The pro-West ruling bloc and pro-Syrian opposition have agreed on army chief Gen Michel Suleiman, but are divided on the make-up of the new government.

There is also said to be a dispute over how to amend the constitution to allow a senior civil servant to be elected.

The deadlock meant Emile Lahoud stepped down last month without a successor.

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The Associated Press reports that Negotiations on Hollywood labor pact collapse. everyone thought things were moving along and now the negotiators have quit – except the WGA negotiators are ready to talk and the AMPTP negotiators left.

What’s sort of interesting is what Nikke Finke has been reporting this past week. On Wednesday the report was AMPTP hired two PR firms, one associated with Dems and the other with the Repubs, and both associated with disaster control. These guys don’t come come cheap and the “fair and balanced” hiring seems to signal that the corporations expect politicians to get involved. The only reason for politicians to get involved would be if this thing dragged on for an extended period. [hint, hint]

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This is going to be painful. Of all of the things the xenophobes don’t want to oppose, I would think that Paddington Bear would definitely be near the top, but then he has special relevance to military brats, so I may be biased.

The BBC reports on his golden anniversary book: Paddington Bear’s birthday book

Paddington, the bear from Peru, will be arrested and interrogated over his immigration status in a book marking his 50th birthday.
…

In the new book the bear, who arrived in the country as a stowaway, is interviewed about his right to stay in England.

He has no papers to prove his identity as his Aunt Lucy arranged for him to hide on a ship’s lifeboat from Peru when she went to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima.

I have a feeling this could show up at Question Time.

Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet, 512 U.S. 687 (1994), Justice David Souter, writing for the majority, concluded that “government should not prefer one religion to another, or religion to irreligion”.

Freedom of religion necessarily includes freedom from religion. Almost 15% of Americans are reportedly non-religious. That’s about 45 million Americans, who have exactly the same rights as the other 255 million people in the United States. There is no religious test for office in the United States, it says that right in the Constitution.

If you think what you said is going to help you win against a Baptist preacher, you are missing a few teeth on the main gears in your brain. Going down to the river with James Dobson might have helped, but not that much.

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Once again, Why Now? is pleased to present the link to the webcam of Gävlebocken, The biggest Christmas Goat in the world.

It’s just as exciting as watching WEDGINALD on Cheddarvision.

From Steve Bates of Yellow Doggerel Democrat in the comments [last year]:

Why build a giant goat of straw,
Which most of us would scarcely note?
Some, though, defy the very law,
To vandalize the Gävle Goat.

In some years, they used wayward cars;
In others, flaming arrows smote.
This year’s survives, although with scars…
A fact that gets some people’s goat.

A webcam and some watchful eyes,
A flame-retardant second coat,
Should save it… unless Dubya spies
The thing, and claims it’s his pet goat!

– SB the YDD

The Associated Press reports Teen births up for first time in 15 years

The birth rate had been dropping since its peak in 1991, although the decline had slowed in recent years. On Wednesday, government statisticians said it rose 3 percent from 2005 to 2006.

The reason for the increase is not clear, and federal health officials said it might be a one-year statistical blip, not the beginning of a new upward trend.

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The BBC covers the US Supreme Court oral arguments in the efforts of detainees to get a court hearing: Guantanamo legal showdown begins

The US Supreme Court is deciding whether inmates at Guantanamo Bay camp should have the right to contest their detention in US civilian courts.

Two cases challenge the removal by Congress of the “habeas corpus” right of detainees under the US constitution to be heard by an independent judge.

If the court rules in their favour, indefinite detention under military control could be declared unlawful.

The court’s judges have ruled against the US government in two earlier cases.

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