scrambler

Doctorb, you're an incendiary fucker. I could almost see your point if this were the result of genocidal tactics or was a military atrocity. But it's neither, it's simply the failure of military intelligence. Their target was believed to be at a particular location but the timing was wrong. As far as morals, it's the lessor of two evils. Some innocent lives might have to be sacrificed to rid the greater evil of having their target alive to plot the death of US soldiers or even possibility US civilians. This is the problem that arises when combatants mingle with non-combatants. Regarding the other situation in Iraq, I found this article interesting: MOVING TARGETS Excerpts-- The Bush Administration has authorized a major escalation of the Special Forces covert war in Iraq. In interviews over the past month, American officials and former officials said that the main target was a hard-core group of Baathists who are believed to be behind much of the underground insurgency against the soldiers of the United States and its allies. A new Special Forces group, designated Task Force 121, has been assembled from Army Delta Force members, Navy seals, and C.I.A. paramilitary operatives, with many additional personnel ordered to report by January. Its highest priority is the neutralization of the Baathist insurgents, by capture or assassination. Americans in the field are trying to solve that problem by developing a new source of information: they plan to assemble teams drawn from the upper ranks of the old Iraqi intelligence services and train them to penetrate the insurgency. The idea is for the infiltrators to provide information about individual insurgents for the Americans to act on. A former C.I.A. station chief described the strategy in simple terms: “U.S. shooters and Iraqi intelligence.” He added, “There are Iraqis in the intelligence business who have a better idea, and we’re tapping into them. We have to resuscitate Iraqi intelligence, holding our nose, and have Delta and agency shooters break down doors and take them”—the insurgents—“out.” A former intelligence official said that getting inside the Baathist leadership could be compared to “fighting your way into a coconut—you bang away and bang away until you find a soft spot, and then you can clean it out.” An American who has advised the civilian authority in Baghdad said, “The only way we can win is to go unconventional. We’re going to have to play their game. Guerrilla versus guerrilla. Terrorism versus terrorism. We’ve got to scare the Iraqis into submission.” The former Special Forces official warned that the problem with head-hunting is that you have to be sure “you’re hunting the right heads.” Speaking of the now coöperative former Iraqi intelligence officials, he said, “These guys have their own agenda. Will we be doing hits on grudges? When you set up host-nation elements”—units composed of Iraqis, rather than Americans—“it’s hard not to have them going off to do what they want to do. You have to keep them on a short leash.” “It’s not the way we usually play ball, but if you see a couple of your guys get blown away it changes things. We did the American things—and we’ve been the nice guy. Now we’re going to be the bad guy, and being the bad guy works.” _________________________________________________ Looks like most folks have decided to stay out of this thread. I don't blame you. It's too easy to be misunderstood. I'm expecting the Caveman to weigh in on this and tell me I don't know jack shit again. Whatever.

She's the crusader who wants to ban all filthy tree pron such as this:

The action figure speaks such classic lines as: -To a disabled Vietnam vet: "People like you caused us to lose that war."---MSNBC -"God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'"---Hannity & Colmes, 6/20/01 -"I think [Whitewater]'s going to prevent the First Lady from running for Senate."---Rivera Live 3/12/99 -"The thing I like about Bush is I think he hates liberals."---Washington Post 8/1/00 -"The swing voters---I like to refer to them as the idiot voters because they don't have set philosophical principles. You're either a liberal or you're a conservative if you have an IQ above a toaster. "---Beyond the News, Fox News Channel, 6/4/00 coulterwisdom

liberal snaffle, no doubt

ALIEN SEX: While in the throes of sex, her spine glows a luminescent, otherworldly, X-ray crimson. "We realized the only way we could improve on the original is if the Cylons could have sex," quipped co-executive producer David Eick at Tuesday night's Los Angeles premiere. The chrome-domed "walking toasters" from the original TV series are succeeded by -- well, really hot blond chicks, who infiltrate human society to engineer its doom.

Nov. Insider Stock Sales Hit 2-Year High Stock sales by top U.S. corporate executives reached their highest level in more than two years in November, a bearish signal at a time when the stock market has surged amid strong growth in the economy and company earnings. Last month corporate executives cashed in $4.5 billion worth of their own companies' shares, up 43 percent from October and nearly double the five-year monthly average, according to Thomson Financial's Insider Research, which tracks insider transactions. Meanwhile 3,680 executives from 1,592 companies engaged in share sales. Both measures set five-year highs. In recent weeks investors have been barraged by positive economic data and better than expected third-quarter earning reports, sustaining a rally in U.S. stocks. On Wednesday the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average and the broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index reached 18-month highs, while the Nasdaq Composite Index briefly broke the 2,000 barrier for the first time in 22 months before pulling back. Yet heavy insider sales could give investors pause, since top executives and directors are perceived as knowing their company's prospects best and therefore the figures can serve as a gauge of executive confidence. __________________________________________________ Ok, so I guess if DJIA hits 10K then it'll head down into the new year. Just read this morning that layoffs continue with SBC Communications which plans to eliminate 3,000 to 4,000 jobs and Washington Mutual will fire 2,900 as home loans slow. Note: SBC Communications (SBC) is part of DJIA but Washington Mutual is listed in S&P 500.

Yeah they sic'ed their pit bulls on some drunk in a bar for telling a story about God speaking through a burning bush.

It's not necessarily who's right or wrong, rather it's the dialectic that's important. Strange I haven't read about any specifics, and since Germany relies on nuclear for 30% of its electricity production, and is rich in Uranium, I doubt I will. No doubt they will replace this nuclear generated electricity with more fossil-fuel fired generating stations like the ones that currently account for over 60% of their power production. I would also point out that Germany has yet to ratify The Kyoto Accord. Germany took a major step towards ending its nuclear power programme yesterday when it shut down the first of its 19 atomic power stations. The shutdown followed an agreement three years ago with the industry to close all the nuclear power plants by 2025. The Greens had earlier insisted that they would only go into government with the Social Democrats if nuclear power were abolished. Yesterday the Green environment minister, Jürgen Tritten, hailed the shutdown as a historic step. "Nuclear power has no future in Germany. No country is pulling out as quickly," he said. The next operational nuclear plant earmarked for closure is Germany's oldest, the 340 megawatt Obrigheim reactor in the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg. It is due to be taken off the grid by November 2005. However, it is still unclear how Europe's largest economy will make up for the loss of atomic power, which satisfies a third of its energy requirements. --end of excerpts Germany begins phasing out nuclear power So, yes. Atomic power accounts for 30% of Germany's energy consumption. Also true, ...."abandoning nuclear energy will mean importing electricity from countries with bad nuclear safety records, or increasing electricity output - and carbon dioxide emissions - from conventional power plants." Also: "The opposition Christian Democrats, meanwhile, who currently enjoy a vast opinion poll lead, have promised to reverse the shutdown if they win the next general election." Regarding Kyoto Protocol: "The European Union and each of its member states have ratified the Kyoto Protocol as of May 31, taking a significant step toward the EU's commitment to enabling the international climate protection agreement to enter into force before the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August/September 2002. The ratification papers of the EU and the 15 member states, including Germany, were deposited at United Nations headquarters in New York in a ceremony on May 31." - EU Fulfills Commitment and Calls on Other Nations to Support Kyoto I doubt that since the US and Russia refused to sign the agreement that the Kyoto Protocol will become international law. As far as leadership in developing and instituting alternative energy sources, I have a hunch that this will come from the European Union. We'll continue to use our military to secure Middle East oil while the EU will seek other solutions. My guess...didn't research.

No, not nuclear, instead clean alternative energy sources. Too bad Germany is taking the lead in phasing out nuclear powerplants and in instituting other alternative energy.

Well yeah, I hear ya but what can be done? US Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter, Republican, tried to propose legislation that rolls back some of the Patriot Act but I believe it was shelved. ( Anti-Patriot Act Measure Drops From Bill also Otter to speak on Patriot Act dissent Unfortunately, what we saw instead was a strengthing of the Patriot Act since it was enacted.

I've wondered if it's even possible--fiscally responsible yet socially conscious. Are these mutually compatible? Doesn't it take gov't money to administer social programs? How much money could we save or at least bring cash flow back to the States, if we ended troop stationing in South Korea and Okinawa? It's not so far fetched considering we removed troops and equipment from Europe after the Cold War. For some odd reason, I feel a deep seated objection to this but it seems reasonable. Shouldn't everything be on the table when it's time to cut rather than cut only domestic programs?

Is anyone else experiencing deja vu ? A glitch in the Matrix?

Vegans need not worry. They shun all animal products. Damn, I sure could use a nice juicy beef tenderloin right about now.

When's the last time you ate Thanksgiving dinner at 6am, local time?

A naked, samurai sword-wielding martial arts expert screaming, "I'm God! I'm immortal" hacked his wife to death yesterday in a blood-soaked Bronx rampage, police said. The stocky martial-arts black belt swung so hard, he bent one sword on her head - and also nearly sliced through her neck and cut off her left hand, cops said. "I noticed his wife was on the floor covered in blood," said a neighbor who went to the first-floor apartment at 2199 Holland Ave. after the noise woke him up. "He was naked." "She was still alive, she looked at me like she wanted help but at the time I could not do nothing," said the neighbor, who didn't want his name used. "I was just terrified and afraid for her and afraid for my life, too." The neighbor ran back to his apartment and called 911. About 5:15 a.m., the two cops knocked on the door and were greeted by the blood-stained, naked swordsman, police said. "I heard him screaming, 'I'm God! I'm immortal! I can't die!'" said neighbor Liz Zacuto. news link What'll you want to bet this guy gets life in prison rather than execution?

Found this interesting... "The lobby floor of the new CBC building on Queen Street features a map of Canada with several geographical errors laid out in beautiful granite." "After a picture of the lobby of the still-under-construction building ran in the Citizen yesterday, eagle-eyed readers noticed that the Queen Charlotte Islands off the west coast were missing and that Vancouver Island had suddenly become a peninsula. Further, that new peninsula no longer dipped below the 49th Parallel." "Yet, while the map missed out on those bits of Canada, it did not fail to incorporate what appeared to be a new province: Alaska." "It was the second time within the span of a month that a new Ottawa building with national significance was proudly unveiled, only to display a map that failed its geography test." "Last month, when the Ottawa International Airport's new terminal was opened, an alert traveller noticed that the artist-rendered map of North America -- located in the terminal's baggage area and second-floor level -- had put Atlanta in the middle of Alabama, Chicago in Wisconsin and Washington D.C. in Virginia."

Right, and Ronald Reagan said that ketchup was a vegetable and that trees cause pollution. Seriously ,this shouldn't be a partisian issue as it seems to be. I would be all for seeing our power plants converted to using clean alternative fuels to produce electricity, and see other developments such as have Detroit produce hybrid cars. Leave petrochemicals for pharmaceuticals, plastics, and fertilizer. Rather than propose a manned mission to the Moon or Mars, or some other grand scheme, I'd like to see the next Bush administration propose something along the lines of a 25 year plan (or whatever) to wean us off of Middle East oil and become the world's leader in alternative energy. We will have to make the transition at some time in the not-so-distant future, why not sooner?

More on Toxoplasma parasite: Feeling Sexy? It Could Be Your Cat A study has shown that domestic cats infected with a parasite called toxoplasma gondii can actually alter the personalities of their human owners, turning women into “sex kittens" and men into “alley cats.” “We found they [the infected women] were more easygoing, more warm-hearted, had more friends and cared more about how they looked. However, they were also less trustworthy and had more relationships with men,” Dr. Jaroslav Flegr, who conducted the study at Charles University in Prague, told London’s Sunday Times newspaper.

Whew! I thought you were going to say you got the infection from the Haagen Daz. Sounds like you developed a lactose intolerance. Maybe you were always lactose intolerant, but having not consumed dairy for a prolonged period, your body lost its abilty to adjust. Also, the antibiotics may have killed off organisms needed to digest lactose. True dat, Acidophilus.

You've all seen these. Tibetan prayer flags. WTF? What's up with people who string these things up at base camp? I mean I could understand if you were a practicing Buddhist, otherwise, it's the ultimate in kitsch. It's like having a pair of those ghetto rock climbing shoes. Poseurs.

One word: Ghetto

Hairpie, I bet you hate listening to The Clash.

H.P. Lovecraft in Chick Tract form

Symbiosis always starts out as an adversarial relationship, usually the host tries to digest the invader like corals with their zooxanthella; then the relationship evolves to a mutually beneficial one.