Perhaps they didn't tell you becuse they knew that's just how you'd react. These people are the cops, and are trying to do their jobs - protect America from terrorist acts. (via zem)
posted by Brian 11:32 PM
• • • • •
The trauma center in Las Vegas closed because doctors could't afford to practice there. (link courtesy MedPundit)
Attorneys with the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association denounced the closure. "They just wanted to terrorize the community with this walkout," said Jim Crockett, a Las Vegas lawyer. "These doctors are holding this community hostage."
I somehow find it hard to sympathize with a member of the legal community. It's more likely that the doctors did all they could, however, the lawyers and insurance companies made the cost of malpractice far too expensive for surgeons to afford.
posted by Brian 10:18 PM
• • • • •
Gail Davis is sporting a new look today.
posted by Brian 10:06 PM
• • • • •
The greatest natural hitter in baseball history has passed on. And yes, he spent his career with my beloved Red Sox. Ted Williams, The Splendid Splinter, died this morning of a heart attack. He was 83.
posted by Brian 8:09 PM
• • • • •
Thursday, July 04, 2002
What exactly is the definition of "liberated Palestine" in geographic terms? (link via Susanna Cornett)
posted by Brian 6:11 PM
• • • • •
Lileks has a fine 4th of July column. Read it and enjoy the holiday.
posted by Brian 5:30 PM
• • • • •
There has been a shooting at LAX.
A gunman opened fire Thursday at the El Al airlines ticket counter in Los Angeles International Airport, killing two people and wounding three others before being shot dead by an El Al security guard, according to authorities.
More details as they develop.
posted by Brian 5:03 PM
• • • • •
UPDATE on the African spammer, as it had appeared that my mail server had rejected my reply to her, as she was a known spammer. I received the following reply from her ISP today.
Thanks for this report. We've taken action in accordance with our
Acceptable Usage policies, and expect no further abuse from this
host.
Regards,
--
Vincent Schonau
XS4ALL Internet Abuse Team
http://www.xs4all.nl
Even in a country where drugs are legal, e-mail spam seems to be a no-no.
posted by Brian 4:13 PM
• • • • •
To show that we're still letting just about anyone in this country:
Saddam Hussein's stepson has been arrested on immigration charges after enrolling in a flight school that had been used by one of the Sept. 11 hijackers, federal authorities said.
Mohammed Nour al-Din Saffi, a citizen of New Zealand who has worked in commercial aviation, planned to attend classes at Aeroservice Aviation Center, said James Goldman, an INS assistant director for investigations.
Although the article goes on to say that the man has not lived in Iraq for quite some time for fear of Saddam's wrath, you just have to wonder.
posted by Brian 8:02 AM
• • • • •
Wednesday, July 03, 2002
The judge who wrote the controverial Pledge of Allegiance decision is one of the most overturned judges in history.
STEPHEN REINHARDT is the liberal badboy of the federal judiciary. He is ideological, outlandish, and never dull. The 66-year-old judge, appointed by Jimmy Carter in 1980 to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, is well known to the Supreme Court, which has a habit of overturning his opinions.
The judge is overturned--by justices across the philosophical spectrum--for good reason: His jurisprudence has become increasingly eccentric and sloppy. Of his seven reversals this term, three came on a per curiam basis. This rare procedure signals the agreement of all nine justices that a lower court's ruling is so flawed, there is no need for oral argument.
posted by Brian 8:53 PM
• • • • •
Alley Writer has had it with the Islamofascists. Better not get in his way.
posted by Brian 8:48 PM
• • • • •
Peggy Noonan, in her column celebrating America, tips her hat to bloggers. (via Susanna Cornett)
posted by Brian 8:34 PM
• • • • •
Follow-up on the African fraud e-mail. Someone caught up with her before me:
This Message was undeliverable due to the following reason:
Each of the following recipients was rejected by a remote mail server.
The reasons given by the server are included to help you determine why
each recipient was rejected.
Recipient:
Reason: VS10-RT Possible forgery or deactivated due to abuse - see http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mail/spam/spam-18.html (#5.1.1)
Bummer. I was looking forward to a rewarding relationship.
posted by Brian 8:07 PM
• • • • •
Democrats are pointing out that President Bush was investigated for insider trading back in 1989, the very type of thing he is trying to fight now he's in the White House. (courtesy Gail Davis)
The Securities and Exchange Commission ruled the transaction phony and forced the company to restate its 1989 earnings. The SEC also investigated Bush for insider trading after he sold nearly $850,000 of Harken stock shortly before its mounting debt was publicly disclosed.
The SEC eventually closed its investigation of Bush without taking action against him, although The Dallas Morning News has quoted a 1993 letter from the SEC to Bush's lawyer emphasizing that its decision "must in no way be construed as indicating that (Bush) has been exonerated."
Republicans are simply saying that Democrats are using it as a political weapon.
posted by Brian 7:51 PM
• • • • •
FROM THE E-MAIL BAG:
The Daily Babble apparently has some overseas admirers. This appeared in my mailbox last night:
FROM:MRS. M SESE-SEKO
DEAR FRIEND. (love the personal touch!)
I AM MRS. MARIAM SESE-SEKO WIDOW OF
LATE PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE-SEKO OF ZAIRE?
NOW KNOWN AS DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
(DRC).
I AM MOVED TO WRITE YOU THIS LETTER,
THIS WAS IN CONFIDENCE CONSIDERING MY
PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCE AND SITUATION.
I ESCAPED ALONG WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO
OF OUR SONS TIMOTHY AND BASHER OUT OF
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) TO
ABIDJAN,COTE D'IVOIRE WHERE MY FAMILY
AND I SETTLED, WHILE WE LATER MOVED TO
SETTLED IN MORROCO WHERE MY HUSBAND
LATER DIED OF CANCER DISEASE.
HOWEVER DUE TO THIS SITUATION WE DECIDED
TO CHANGED MOST OF MY HUSBAND'S BILLIONS
OF DOLLARS DEPOSITED IN SWISS BANK AND OTHER
COUNTRIES INTO OTHER FORMS OF MONEY CODED
FOR SAFE PURPOSE BECAUSE THE NEW HEAD OF
STATE OF (DR) MR LAURENT KABILA HAS MADE
ARRANGEMENT WITH THE SWISS GOVERNMENT
AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO FREEZE
ALL MY LATE HUSBAND'STREASURES DEPOSITED
IN SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. HENCE MY CHILDREN
AND I DECIDED LAYING LOW IN AFRICA TO STUDY
THE SITUATION TILL WHEN THINGS GETS BETTER,
LIKE NOW THAT PRESIDENT KABILA IS DEAD AND
THE SON TAKING OVER(JOSEPH KABILA). ONE OF MY
LATE HUSBAND'S CHATEAUX IN SOUTHERN FRANCE
WAS CONFISCATED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT,
AND AS SUCH I HAD TO CHANGE MY IDENTITY SO
THAT MY INVESTMENT WILL NOT BE TRACED AND
CONFISCATED. I HAVE DEPOSITED THE SUM
OF TWENTY THREE MLLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS
(US$23,000,000,00.) WITH A SECURITY COMPANY ,
FOR SAFEKEEPING. THE FUNDS ARE SECURITY
CODED TO PREVENT THEM FROM KNOWING
THE CONTENT. WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IS TO
INDICATE YOUR INTEREST THAT YOU WILL ASSIST
US BY RECEIVING THE MONEY ON OUR BEHALF IN
EUROPE.
I WANT YOU TO
ASSIST IN INVESTING THIS MONEY, BUT I WILL NOT
WANT MY IDENTITY REVEALED.
I WILL ALSO WANT TO BUY PROPERTIES AND STOCK
IN MULTI-NATIONAL COMPANIES AND TO ENGAGE
IN OTHER SAFE AND NON-SPECULATIVE INVESTMENTS.
MAY I AT THIS POINT EMPHASISE THE HIGH LEVEL OF
CONFIDENTIALITY, WHICH THIS BUSINESS DEMANDS,
AND HOPE YOU WILL NOT BETRAY THE TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE, WHICH I REPOSE IN YOU IN CONCLUSION,
IN THE EVENT YOU ARE INTRESTED TO ASSIST US I WILL
LIKE YOU TO CONTACT MY LAWYER WHO I HAVE STATIONED IN
HOLLAND TO WITHNESS THE TRANSACTION TO IS
CONCLUTION.YOU CAN REACH HIM ON IS DIRECT LINE WHICH
IS +31-612 722 388 OR VIA MAIL
willaim_edward1@spinfinder.com.HIS NAME IS WILLAIM EDWARD AND I
HAVE THE FULL TRUST IN HIME.
I SINCERELY WILL APPRECAITE YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BEST REGARDS,
MRS M. SESE SEKO
I didn't have the heart to turn down her request. So I answered her e-mail, naturally. However, not until after I fact-checked her ass.
Here's my reply:
Dear Mrs. Sese-Seko,
I am sorry to hear about your situation. It is quite unfortuate that
you are in such a bind. However, after ckecking your background, it
seems that I could not justify an investment with someone such as
yourself.
Your late husband, according to historical records, bankrupted his own
country and kept the money for himself. Therefore, the Swiss and French
estates you refer to are not rightfully his, and yours by will to
obtain, and should properly fall into the hands of the people.
Laurent Kabila is dead, his son is now in charge, as you stated.
If the gentleman you mention below is indeed an attorney, he should know
that this e-mail is an attempt to commit fraud, and is prosecutable
under United States federal law. I was also able to trace the origin of
this e-mail to a postoffice in Amsterdam, and have notified the system
adminstrator.
In other words, you're messing with the wrong guy.
Warmest regards,
Brian Sinclair
Editor
The Daily Babble
http://members.fortunecity.com/moonrpie/
I wanted to be nastier and let this person know that Mobuto Sese-Soku was one of the most hated dictators in history, but I guess that these African scammers don't think that we'll Fisk them.
posted by Brian 7:26 PM
• • • • •
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
Exactly how are they going to pull this one off?
And, in what UTMB President Dr. John Stobo called "an unforgivable failure of oversight," officials at the medical school said they have discovered that the cremated remains of many people who willed their bodies to science were mixed.
In a letter e-mailed to the medical center's faculty and staff late Monday, Stobo apologized to families that may have received mixed ashes and said, "We pledge to do everything in our power to resolve the problem quickly."
I'll be following this story to see what the good doctor comes up with for a solution.
posted by Brian 6:23 PM
• • • • •
The way our government deals with Mexico continues to baffle me:
Seemingly blindsided by the sudden surrender attempt by the wanted former chief of Mexico's state oil company, the U.S. Justice Department asked for more time to study the case today.
Rogelio Montemayor, appearing in court for the first time since trying to turn himself in to U.S. authorities Monday, pledged to remain in Houston until a scheduled July 17 hearing to discuss the matter.
In Mexico, Montemayor is wanted on charges of improperly negotiating a labor contract with the massive union representing the workers at the oil company, Pemex, and subsequently infusing it with large amounts of public money. About $170 million of that money allegedly was channeled onward to the presidential campaign of Francisco Labastida.
So, we have one of the corrupt Mexican kingpins who wants to turn himself in, and WE DON'T KNOW IF WE WANT HIM OR NOT?
posted by Brian 6:15 PM
• • • • •
This is the utopian society that these Islamofascists want to create?
A Pakistani tribal council ordered an 18-year-old girl to be gang-raped in order to punish her family after her brother was seen walking with a girl from a higher class tribe, police said Tuesday.
According to the victim, the Mastoi tribe demanded punishment after her 11-year-old brother was seen walking unchaperoned with a Mastoi girl in a deserted part of the village. The boy and his sister are from the lower class Gujar tribe.
So this girl is being gang-raped for the actions of her 11-year old brother. Wonderful place to live.
UPDATE: Alley Writer has chimed in about this story as well. He wonders what will happen if the girl becomes pregnant. I was wondering about a Muslim "honor killing" myself, but failed to put it in my post.
posted by Brian 7:15 AM
• • • • •
Sunday, June 30, 2002
Despite the fact that the Supreme Court will likely shoot it down given its makeup, I see no problem with the 9th Circuit's decision on the Pledge of Allegiance. It was something that was bound to happen, if not now, then in the future. However, that's not what concerns me. What concerns me about this ruling is that our lawmakers in Congress had to take time out of their schedules to pass resolutions condemning the ruling. It seems that our elected leaders have plenty of time for grandstanding, but not enough time for important decisions. The Senate interrupted debate on an important defense bill to pass that resolution.
UPDATE: I did complain that Congress passed a couple of non-binding resolutions condeming the ruling, however, it appears that the Senate has drafted an actual bill that will be become law, according to this story.
The second Senate action, Senate Bill 2690, titled "A bill to reaffirm the reference to one Nation under God in the Pledge of Allegiance," was authored by the Republican minority leadership. Unlike the resolution of the day before, it is a law that will go to the House and the president's desk. And, also unlike the resolution, it is a deeply political, carefully worded document that might one day come back to haunt some Democrats — and perhaps even a few justices on the United States Supreme Court.
The majority of the bill is a recitation of the importance of references to God in public pronouncements throughout American history. It begins in 1620, with the Mayflower Compact, in which the Pilgrims undertook their voyage to the New World for, among other reasons, "the Glory of God." The bill then quotes from the Declaration of Independence — "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" — and Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia," in which Jefferson wrote that the nation's liberties were "the Gift of God."
The bill moves on to the Gettysburg address, in which Lincoln declared that "this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom." It then jumps ahead to several Supreme Court cases from the 1950s, beginning with a school religious observance case in which liberal icon Justice William O. Douglas wrote that, "The First Amendment, however, does not say that in every and all respects there shall be a separation of Church and State. Rather, it studiously defines the manner, the specific ways, in which there shall be no concern or union or dependency one on the other. That is the common sense of the matter." If that were not true, Douglas continued, all references to God in public ceremonies, courtroom oaths, and even the opening of each Supreme Court session would be unconstitutional.
Then the bill moves on to this paragraph:
On June 15, 1954, Congress passed, and President Eisenhower signed into law a statute, that was clearly consistent with the text and intent of the Constitution of the United States, that amended the Pledge of Allegiance to read, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
posted by Brian 9:31 PM
• • • • •
Jay Berwanger, football star at the University of Chicago and first winner of the Heisman Trophy, died Wednesday night, June 26, at 8:45 p.m. of lung cancer. He was 88 years old.
posted by Brian 9:01 PM
• • • • •
It's a good thing that someone in Congress is finally paying attention to our problems along the Mexican border. It's troubling to know their reasons why.
Illegal immigration, drug traffic and law enforcement activity are devastating the environment within national parks and other federal land in southeastern Arizona, according to a federal study.
A U.S. House subcommittee last week responded by approving $1 million to start a clean-up effort. But that is far less than the $23.5 million several federal agencies say they need. "The damage to our federal lands caused by illegal immigration is unprecedented," said Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., who requested the report. "It not only damages our natural and cultural resources, it also impacts safety. The federal government needs to step in and clean up the trash and preserve the lands."
Preposterous. Al-Qaeda could be setting up shop in the Arizona desert and Congress wants to debate whether the government should prevent the environment.
posted by Brian 8:57 PM
• • • • •
PejmanPundit tells us the story of defeated Alabama African-American Congressman Earl Hilliard. He says that he lost his primary to an African-American opponent because of the Jews.
"I see a future with a great deal of conflict between African-Americans and Jews in this country," he said. "It's going to get worse before it gets better. I don't think African-Americans are going to sit back and let this continue. There will be retribution."
What the good congressman fails to say is that two-thirds of his contributions came from out-of-state Muslim organizations. However, his supporters have no problems challenging the source of Artur Davis's money.
"There's no question this money from outside the state made the difference," Hilliard said. "If they put $1 million against any candidate, he's got hell on his hands, especially in a district like mine where radio and TV time comes so cheap."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations also blamed Jews for Hilliard's loss.
"Rep. Hilliard's loss shows that the domestic lobby for a foreign government is willing to use its considerable financial resources to force hand-picked 'leaders' on the African-American community. This is a defeat for democracy and civil rights and a victory for those who would institute a pro-Israel litmus test for American political candidates," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad.
However, just as I feared, and the Fox article goes on to state it, the pro-Israel lobby is going after Cynthia McKinney. There may have been a double standard in the case of Congressman Hilliard, however, I don't feel easy knowing that our candidates can be bought by representatives of foreign governments - no matter how friendly. For all we know, the Israelis could be building up our trust, taking our free money and waiting to stab us in the back.
posted by Brian 8:03 PM
• • • • •
The World Cup continues to be a great source of quotes. It'll be a shame to see it end. Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, on winning the World Cup:
"Both are very hard to stay without and I'm sure sex wouldn't be so rewarding as this World Cup," he said.
"It's not that sex isn't good but the World Cup is every four years and sex is not."
Right on, Ronaldo. Enjoy masturbating on Ipanema Beach until 2006. (via PejmanPundit)
posted by Brian 8:01 PM
• • • • •
Susanna Cornett has the story of a real-life Dirk Diggler who cleaned up his act - and is now running for governor of Kentucky.
posted by Brian 5:26 PM
• • • • •
Dave Barry tells us why consumers REALLY never read owner's manuals. (via Coyote at the Dog Show)
posted by Brian 4:54 PM
• • • • •
Figures I would be Homer. DOH!
Take the quiz here!
Thanks Ben.
posted by Brian 3:48 PM
• • • • •
From the stupid reasons to try and make money file:
A contract firefighter for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs admitted starting the "Rodeo'' fire, saying he wanted more than just seasonal work so he could boost his income and he was angry at his parents, according to court records.
According to statement of probable cause filed by Daniel Hawkins, a special agent for the BIA, Gregg admitted to setting the Rodeo and Pina fires because he was angry at his parents for what he called their drinking problems. He also admitted that he expected to make money from the fires due to his seasonal employment with the BIA, Hawkins wrote.
Hawkins also noted that Gregg was one of the first members of the fire crew to be called to fight the "Rodeo" fire.
Hawkins said, "He admitted that he expected the work on the fire supression teams for about a day but that he did not expect that this fire to develop to the degree that it did.''Investigators found a shoeprint at the ignition point of both the "Rodeo" and "Pina" fires. The prints were later linked to a pair of boots that Gregg was wearing, according to the Hawkins affidavit. Hawkins wrote that Gregg also confirmed that he was wearing the boots at the time he allegedly set both fires.
The story also goes on to say that the man is facing 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. I'm assuming that those are penalties assessed by the tribe, as the man will be facing a lynch mob if he's allowed outside the reservation.
UPDATE: According to Desert Pundit, Leonard Gregg is an employee of the BIA, but is not a firefighter.
posted by Brian 3:42 PM
• • • • •
