This break is gonna take longer than I thought

I want to apologize for the extremely long break I've taken...I never intended to be away this long, and I'm not happy about it. It seems that I have developed a condition called RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) which is going to keep me for some time. I will update periodically as I improve.

In the meantime, please check out the link above and do whatever you can to avoid getting RSI...it really, truly, absolutely sucks, even if you don't have blogs to run.

A break

Two months ago, I knew next to nothing about how to put together a good looking blog. Now it looks good (I think anyway), but just going through the news every day can be time consuming. There are still some things I'd like to learn to make this a better experience, so I'm taking a couple of days off to do so.

Whether you like the site or hate it, I'd love to see you leave a comment below!

In The News 11/9/06

Why Rumsfeld should be prosecuted now

Why Pelosi had really better consider impeachment

Why you should stay away from Windows Vista - Good luck trying to play anything you've downloaded! The RIAA / MPAA Special Aktion Group resides in Vista.

Democrats sure are being nice to Bush - You know, I try to stay away from linking to sites as dramatic as those run by Alex Jones, but seriously, those guys have some things to say that all of us should consider. They've been right many times more than they've been wrong. Don't pass this up; you may regret it later if you do. Oh, their thoughts on how the election could have been thrown are bound to be fairly unpopular with the Americablog and Crooks And Liars crowds...but if it's true, it's damn scary.

What will the election mean for copyright? - Let's hope Boucher gets the job (but even then, I won't be surprised to see some draconian legislation spew forth).

Government tries to stop AT&T lawsuit - This isn't surprising. AT&T scratched the Feds' back by letting them play Big Brother, and now Big Brother wants to cover it all up. Very dismaying.

Social security data used for criminal investigations - Doesn't sound so significant until you realize that just about anything can be turned into a terrorism investigation these days. This is a must-read.

Bush's Daddy steps in to help - They gave Bush the presidency and he broke it, along with the entire Middle East and his own country. Now Daddy's gonna give him some help.

In The News 11/8/06

Bush replaces Rumsfeld with...another Rumsfeld!

Human Rights denial deserves impeachment - We had our party...now it's time to get to work. Bush deserves impeachment at the very least. The man is not fit to govern a diner, much less an entire nation.

MS EULA nets Dell user $90 - Here's your way out of paying for Windows when you don't want it!

Here's another example of why forfeiture laws are nothing more than thievery made legal

An interesting take on Nancy Pelosi - I hate to say this, but...I wouldn't be surprised to see in hindsight that this was an accurate assessment of the new Speaker. She has said that impeachment is off the table. If she doesn't move to impeach, then clearly something is very, very wrong with her leadership.

Yes, they hate our freedom - The truth about the Military Commissions Act

In The News 11/7/06

Goodbye and good riddance! - Molly Ivins sums up a six-year nightmare.

Election theft round-up - Lest we forget, they tried to steal elections this time too.

Public election money levels the field - Now here's a working model of an idea that I've been trying to flesh out in my head for some time!

Starbucks loses laptops with data on 60,000 employees - Whoops! I smell some serious legal action forthcoming...

Today was a fantastic day :)

Here's to hoping the Senate gets taken as well!

Britney Spears' love fickleness is top news on Election Day

With all the 'wacky hijinks' going on with this election, you'd think a responsible media would be all over it. Sadly, they are not. Someone is asleep at the switch. I wish I could say "You're not gonna believe this", but instead I have to say "Why am I surprised?".

Without further delay, I give you Google's top stories at 5:15 PM central time:

Stuff I Read Today 11/6/06

109 reasons to dump the 109th Congress

America's slide to totalitarianism - If the last-minute polling trends showing a powerful Republican comeback carry through the Nov. 7 elections, the end of America as we have known it for more than two centuries will be at hand.

Bush will say anything - Have Americans lost the ability to differentiate between spin and reality?

GOP resorts to voter suppression tactics by impersonating Dems - Anything to stay in power...New York Times is covering this as well.

The Disjointed States of America - You can't understand this country's politics using red and blue; the USA's voting patterns make more sense when the country's Wal-Marts, ecological habits, income and population size are spread across the same map.

Some US companies, insurers consider sending employees abroad for surgery - Hey, I have an idea! Let's OUTSOURCE MEDICAL CARE!

Homeland Security now data mining all international travelers - I vonder how long it vill be before ve vill need permission from DHS to leave ze country...

Army recruiters accused of misleading students to enlist - "Nobody is going over to Iraq anymore?" one student asks a recruiter. "No, we're bringing people back," he replies. "We're not at war. War ended a long time ago," another recruiter says.

Yet more evidence that America is winning its War On Drugs

My apologies to those of you using IE...

If you're using IE, this site is a complete mess! Rest assured I am working frantically to correct the issue :)

Under construction for the next day or so

I have decided to undertake the monumental task of adding a third column to this page. With any luck, you'll never see any of the problems that seem to come with doing this sort of thing, but please forgive the mess if you see any:)

Stuff I Read Today 11/3/06

Now here's a good candidate for governor - "I am hearing from a lot of Republicans who say I am a true conservative, but I'm also getting support from a lot of lefty Democrats. There is a large segment of the population that feels like it doesn't have a political voice when the major party candidates here are trying to out-Jesus each other." We could use more candidates like this classy lady.

20 years after Iran-Contra, Washington's role in Nicaragua still a scandal - The US sure doesn't hesitate to commit terrorist acts when it stands to benefit. This is a bit of history that we never should have forgotten - and now it could happen again.

War criminals, beware! - A group of lawyers is bringing charges against Rumsfeld and others in Germany under Universal Jurisdiction doctrine. This is more serious than you may think: An earlier case against Rumsfeld was brought two years ago in Germany by CCR on behalf of four Iraqi victims of Abu Ghraib, drawing largely on documents and photos that revealed abuse at the prison. As the case was being considered, a security conference loomed in Munich. Rumsfeld, who could have been served papers or even arrested, refused to attend unless the case was dismissed. It was dismissed February 10; Rumsfeld flew to Germany the next day.

Google 'will be able to keep tabs on us all' - I haven't checked, but I'll bet US mainstream media hasn't even mentioned this.

Military calls for Rumsfeld's head - All four branches will publish an editorial Monday demanding Rumsfeld's ouster. Have Skunk has a different perspective

Record companies sue defendant's kids - Is there no low these crime syndicates won't stoop to?

Fox News to air terror movie FOUR TIMES this weekend to scare more people into voting Republican - Shameless.

Cheney: "Full speed ahead" on Iraq; "Public sentiment will not influence war policy" - Wow. This guy seems to have forgotten that he works for the American people.

Neo-cons who begged for war in Iraq now refuse to accept responsibility; all blame placed on Bush - ...because they are never wrong. Ever.

...and now for a bit of very black humor

Tony Snow sez: "Wars are hard"

No more fish to eat in 40 years - I know I posted a link on this story yesterday, but this is too scary to not post a second time.

Wow, there is just too much going on this week. I haven't even gotten around to Ted Haggard's meth snorting and fantasies of massive gay orgies, or the Republican attempts to blame anyone but themselves for the Foley scandal, or updates on Republicans' online posting of instructions on how to make an atom bomb, or...

If you missed any of this in the news, check out my earlier posts and just Google for updates.

Stuff I Read Today 11/2/06

Single payer health: The Basics - Healthcare is a right, not a luxury like caviar. Healing the sick is a moral obligation. But, the American medical system is broken for all of us – not just for the uninsured...Because health care is a system – like a car. If something goes wrong with your car it affects everybody riding it - not just people in the back seat.

The anti-life auto industry does not want you to know about defects - ...because then you might buy a competitor's car instead.

Cop threatens to plant drugs in retaliation - Boy, isn't the War On Drugs great?

US interrogation techniques are so bad that US soldiers have killed themselves after objecting

Killing the middle class - Excerpted from Thom Hartmann's newest book, Screwed; The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- And What We Can Do About It.

Prison Planet - America's culture of imprisonment is spreading across the globe...in the name of 'freedom'.

The boarding pass brouhaha - Why are we shooting the messenger instead of discussing the problem?

The architects of the war: Where are they now? - Think Progress runs down the list only to find that everyone who predicted a quick win and greetings with flowers has been rewarded for their incompetency.

Shot down like pigs in the streets - Who wants to be the last person maimed or killed under our mentally ill president's command?

Republican efforts to prove their case for war results in online publication of recipe for atom bomb - Can they get any more ridiculous and irresponsible? Stay tuned...

World's fish supply running out - ...and all the mainstream media can talk about is gay marriage?

Religious Right leader Ted Haggard resigns over gay prostitute scandal - ...and you can watch Haggard - one of the most powerful Religious Right figures aside from Dobson - bash gays here in a clip from "Jesus Camp".

Stuff I Read Today 11/1/06

Our government doesn't want you to have sex until you are 30! - You may as well mark this day as the birth of the War On Sex.

Changing how America works - Something's wrong when only the rich are getting richer, and average folks are feeling the squeeze. The answer isn't more education, or simply electing better leaders. We need widespread change.

America 101 - The American Dream has had its heart cut out, and is on life support.

What America owes its workers

For one California profiteer, Iraq is going great - The rich get much richer while mechanics put their lives on the line for 80k/yr salaries.

Meanwhile, in Baghdad - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., predicted last week that Iraqi security forces would be able to take control of the country in 12 to 18 months. But several days spent with American units training the Iraqi police illustrated why those soldiers on the ground believe it may take decades longer than Casey's assessment.

Turning the corner into madness - The dire predictions President Bush is making about “cutting and running” from Iraq are almost identical to the horrifically inaccurate ones Presidents Johnson and Nixon made about Vietnam.

Contractors cut and run - Even the $1000-a-day guys don't wanna be in that mess now.

BushCo gets MORE PR! - The U.S. Department of Defense is creating a Public Affairs "rapid response team" to respond to what it sees as unfair or inaccurate coverage. Many of the additional staff at the Pentagon Public Affairs Office will be dedicated to booking television news appearances for DOD officials and their representatives, and to trying to convince reporters and newspapers to cover the stories that the Pentagon wants to see more of. Others will be dedicated to monitoring the Internet, creating podcasts and responding to reports on blogs, negative stories and terrorist propaganda.

Vote theft has begun! - Early voting runs through Friday, November 3rd. KFDM continues to get complaints from Jefferson County voters who say the electronic voting machines are not registering their votes correctly. Friday night, KFDM reported about people who had cast straight Democratic ticket ballots, but the touch-screen machines indicated they had voted a straight Republican ticket. Oh, it's happening in Florida too. Again.

Technology of the Beast - Check this out when you need a laugh.

Remember the Vegemite ban? - It's not working very well.

Under construction for a short time today

I'm working on putting up a logo, so things may look odd for a bit. I'm hoping this won't take long...

Stuff I Read Today 10/31/06

Attack of the bots - The latest threat to the Net: autonomous software programs that combine forces to perpetrate mayhem, fraud, and espionage on a global scale. How one company fought the new Internet mafia – and lost.

A new bargain: YouTube politics - How YouTube and network neutrality may enable the non-rich to actually run for office.

Bush: Terrorists win if Republicans lose

Mike Stark pressing charges against George Allen - GOP candidate's goons beat up constituent at a rally (watch the video here) for asking the wrong questions, constituent will make Allen sorry for it!

ABC memo reveals Air America advertiser blacklist