HP- why I don't like to work on cars or computers There's a high level of ignorance involved in this also. The problem with the HP is that as soon as I think I've got the solution something else pops up. I've been through the memory, I've looked at a virus or trojan causing this and I thought I had it nailed, finally, at being the video chipset. I've done at least five complete recoveries this weekend (two of which involved having reloaded personal data and documents). I've got other things to be doing.

What I did find out from this buying spree- I think we can say buying refurbed just ain't worth the hassle. Bought four refurbed items- two went completely to shit sucking up a fair amount of time along the way.

The HP being so erratic is just killing me- I can't trust it (I backed-up but still lost some stuff) with continued service. 'Bout the time I think everything is cool and start doing stuff, it screws up. I thought everything was cool yesterday. Right after I unloaded the camera (clearing the card) the computer crashes, so I have to go re-shoot. I figured three would be enough redundancy to cover me. I'm now down to one working computer that I trust with my data.  ¶ 7/31/2005 09:08:00 PM 0 comments

  Now I remember why I don't take the NYTimes All Worked Up and Wondering Why New York Times - The squabble that dominated last week's union convention in Chicago might have seemed like a quaint reminder of a time when big labor really mattered.

If Miller is in prison, who is passing this kind of Bushco propaganda to the Times?
  ¶ 7/31/2005 12:01:00 AM 0 comments

  Got a phishing attempt from http://129.2.71.7   ¶ 7/30/2005 02:40:00 PM 0 comments

  Camp Fire Talk- close but not exactly I've done some thinking on this and I really think it goes beyond that. Perhaps the camp fire analogy applies to smaller working groups but it seems silly to ignore the greater possible scope and range of digital communication. In my mind, I've likened it to something more on the level of earlier democratic gatherings in a square: Not always Athens-like and definitely not all in the same hunting party.

Update: Just so it's not thought that I've ignored the ability to target and congeal- yes but in the higher analysis the bringing together of segments is what matters.  ¶ 7/27/2005 07:24:00 PM 0 comments

  Something good out of this? I think a little shake-up in the unions is a good thing for unions. Some of the politicians might not like seeing this, they'd just as soon stay with the status quo.  ¶ 7/26/2005 11:06:00 PM 0 comments

  HP- Wha, whine and woe The computer shit the bed. We (me and the turd in my pocket technology team) are working back from software to memory to motherboard. Don't have time for this.  ¶ 7/26/2005 10:57:00 PM 0 comments

  Been Busy This hyper-local thing is beginning to take up some time. And right now I'm just on one of the preliminary steps in this project. This is just a my little experiment in citizen journalism, we'll have to see how this works out. I've managed to add some twists to it and it will probably require all my meager skills in marketing, organizing, PR and a little bit of journalism, too.  ¶ 7/26/2005 05:27:00 PM 0 comments

  Been doin' it- Whenever I have the time, I make an effort to follow the links back from the phishing attempts to input false and/or rude info. I also report the phishing to the domain registrar.  ¶ 7/24/2005 12:01:00 PM 0 comments

  Change is needed Cut all the rightist political crap, labor unions are a natural political force. It is only through the gross malfeasance of the leadership that unions have lost as much political clout as they have. Times and economic conditions change, for sure. But that doesn't explain all that has happened.  ¶ 7/24/2005 12:04:00 AM 0 comments

  Teddy says it's out of bounds Attacking Roberts via his wife's views would be a mistake politically. I think Roberts was a shrewd choice by Shrub. The scene at Shrub's introduction of Roberts was classic stuff.

I think we're going to see some of Rove's finest work now. He has to justify his place on the team.  ¶ 7/23/2005 07:55:00 PM 0 comments

  Patriotic Achtung So bad, the legislation and the timing.  ¶ 7/23/2005 05:39:00 PM 0 comments

  Read it, same ol' fight: Kinsley loses fight, wins battle I like this kind of thing. It usually doesn't shake the world but it's nice to see the interplay of intellects.

Danner won this discussion, hands down, with links and supporting documentation to support his position. The DSM is an important step in the realization that must be made about how we got into this mess. Here, our friends and allies are recognizing that we're hell-bent on going to war and the facts be damned.

Kinsley wins the battle because, well, his view is what everyone is seeing. I think he's been around along enough to recognize that this memo didn't provide the names, dates and such necessary to make it a seismic shift smoking gun.  ¶ 7/23/2005 11:42:00 AM 0 comments

  Grace- not activist, civic journalism Okay, so that's obvious but it needs to be stated so that some thought can occur about what the possibilities are with these resources.

Tawdry treatments of entertainment personalities are one thing. But the dumbing-down of our legal process can have a far reaching negative effect. There are aspects that are rich ground for satire and ridicule but a certain level of expectation should be maintained.  ¶ 7/23/2005 11:25:00 AM 0 comments

  I don't think they covered this in j-school No horsing around (I couldn't resist), surely as strange as fiction.  ¶ 7/20/2005 09:55:00 PM 0 comments

  I'm reading this- report to follow   ¶ 7/20/2005 08:57:00 PM 0 comments

  Protection for bloggers?   ¶ 7/20/2005 06:42:00 PM 0 comments

  Three strikes against CompUSA- auction and eBay I know a little bit about customer service. I know what it means to give it and I've been on the receiving end of both good and bad. I always try to be civil with the CSR no matter how badly things have gone awry. This particular example is one of the worst I've ever encountered and surely tried my patience. The folks here managed to convince me that, despite all their assurances that they wanted my business, they really didn't care. At some point you just have to judge someone on their actions and this case left me with the feeling that I dodged a bullet; I was able to get my money back and wasn't stuck with a lemon. They even offered to give me free shipping; but after three chances to ship a working unit and three failures, why give them another opportunity to fail? I swear this is the kind of thing that makes you wonder how someone can stay in business (it must be the volume). You put this into the context of CompUSA's FTC problems over rebates and it doesn't inspire a whole lot of corporate confidence.

I was dealing with customer service for the CompUSA auction site. Heads-up, these same people handle the CompUSA eBay store where they also sell quite a bit of refurbished electronics. The facts, as stated here, were presented to them with a request that they dispute any factual inaccuracy. I, of course, heard nothing from them.

I bought at auction a Medion Disney computer. I set out why here. I was really pretty happy with the computer; not blazingly fast but a good back-up for the price. I got a deal which is why I really didn't want to give it up and why I gave them that third chance. They really had to screw-up in order to dissuade me.

After a month of using the computer it developed an electrothermal problem, that from experience, I recognized as most likely being the motherboard. The system would freeze-up, I'd lose I/O and it would shut down. I emailed them and they issued a pick-up for it. I had a chance at a refund this time and said no. They said it was the memory and I told them then I didn't think so. I thought about it overnight and called them back to tell them, "I guess I'll just have to take your word on it".

Well, I got the computer back and within a couple hours of running it was displaying the same symptoms. I called them and arranged for it to be picked up, again. There was a holiday and an intervening weekend so I gave them more than a week before I contacted them.

I called on Friday, the 8th of July. The CSR told me they had just received it the day before. FedEx tracking told me they had gotten it on the morning of the 6th. I was told that an OK was needed to replace the machine and they would be calling me on Monday. I was still willing to take the deal.

When I hadn't heard anything by Tuesday, I called back. The CSR begged over-work and actually told me they were swamped with returns. After I mentioned that I had been without the computer for about a month of the two I had owned it, they assured me it would be shipped overnight to me the next day. I called back Thursday because I hadn't received it and found out that it wasn't shipped. I was cool with the CSR but I was really cheesed-off and told them I didn't think I wanted it now. I sent an email that night laying out the facts as I have here and asked if there was any dispute to what I had written. I called back Friday and was told that they hadn't received the email. They didn't want to lose my business and they would do anything to keep it. The rep said think about it over the weekend. I was still a little iffy and said I'd send the email again, show it to your manager and have him call me Monday.

Well, when I didn't hear anything I called back on Wednesday. The rep started back-peddling; I showed my manager the email, I didn't think you wanted it and all we can do is give you free shipping this time. I said; no, I'll be canceling my account at your site and that when I shop on eBay I'll be avoiding your store there.

If the manager had bothered to call me back on Monday and offered me a gift certificate or something where I would have ended up spending more at the auction or a CompUSA retail store they would have had my business.

Instead, now they have someone who is completely soured on CompUSA. They not only exhibited a technical incompetence but also an utter disregard and disorganization. You can say all you want but after a while it comes down to what you really do for the customer.

Update, 8-6-05: CompUSA has persuaded me to give 'em another
chance. I'll be writing about how this turns out.  ¶ 7/20/2005 05:10:00 PM 0 comments

  I have some questions,also... but if the Justice Dept. is against it than I'm for it. Once they start talking about how it will impact on their ability to fight terrorism, I know they're blowin' smoke.  ¶ 7/20/2005 04:27:00 PM 0 comments

  Can Shrub move the goal post on this one? Via Secrecy News- KR appears to have some good stuff, too.  ¶ 7/19/2005 04:34:00 PM 0 comments

  Rove- criminal before culpable Yes, Shrub shifted. Who woulda guessed?  ¶ 7/19/2005 05:00:00 AM 0 comments

  This balance? G.O.P. Chairman Fires Back at Democrats
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman responds to the smear campaign levied against White House deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove by Senate Democrats over the CIA leak case.  ¶ 7/19/2005 01:08:00 AM 0 comments

  Oh Mr. Willlllson Dennis The (freaking Freeper) Menace is sure to come for a visit. Might be a good idea to keep an eye on that local police blotter.  ¶ 7/17/2005 05:28:00 PM 0 comments

  Yes, but... The issues of privacy in this digital age are going to require some thought and sound judgment. As important as they are, I really don't care to have this kind of person on our side. She'll impact a large group not usually associated with the likes of the EFF. As helpful as that may be, I don't think we need her apocalyptic rant clouding real-world issues.  ¶ 7/17/2005 01:51:00 PM 0 comments

  Dual Identity This is really quite simple. It is possible for Ruskin to be quoted within the NYTimes story as both an attributed source and an anonymous one. The article seems to point to that.  ¶ 7/17/2005 12:02:00 PM 0 comments

  More than just the press finally wins one The issue of news worthiness was critical to this particular case but it would have bearing on other internet media.  ¶ 7/17/2005 12:22:00 AM 0 comments

  Terminating the deal It stunk worse than dirty gym-socks.  ¶ 7/16/2005 05:09:00 PM 0 comments

  How else to follow up the previous post? I like that song they do "Y-O-G-I..."  ¶ 7/16/2005 04:20:00 PM 0 comments

  What does Dick Tracy's dog say? This is so stupid and so obvious. Back in 2003 they found, count 'em, 760 marijuana plants. This year it was 800 lbs. of 5-6 foot tall plants. Stalk and all, how much do you think a plant that tall weighs?

I say they may have not even gotten half of their previous haul and were able to creatively justify their budget with a larger number. This got fair play via USAToday.  ¶ 7/16/2005 03:46:00 PM 0 comments

  We can say for sure that it is a bloodied ground. Now, let me see; Bushco, in their infinite wisdom, knew that if they invaded Iraq all the jihadists in the world would of course flock there so it would be easy killing. Kinda circular.  ¶ 7/16/2005 07:03:00 AM 0 comments

  A Republican sent this to me My response:

While it is hyperbole, the facts aren't really far behind. The Repugs, despite the wonderful spin effort (orchestrated by that tight-lipped, real patriot Karl Rove), in their zealotry have managed to ignore the warning signs, fail to catch or kill the culprit, send somebody else's children (non Young Republicans) to die in a misplanned boondoggle of a war based on their lies. Doesn't sound to me like they give a rat's ass whether or not we die.

And when you willfully, continually act with such disregard and hubris,well, I'd say you were out to kill me. And it would satisfy the legal standard.  ¶ 7/15/2005 10:55:00 PM 0 comments

  Repug makes good- his exit Rep. Cunningham will not seek reelectionThe Hill - 2 hours agoBy Patrick O’Connor. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.) announced today that he will step down at the end of the 109th Congress as the FBI continues to investigate the lawmaker’s ties to a defense ...  ¶ 7/14/2005 11:10:00 PM 0 comments

  The rationale begins This guy has come up with this week's "Duh" moment.  ¶ 7/14/2005 10:08:00 PM 0 comments

  Obvious but I should give it a nod This is high in the indices- I hope folks see why Bushco doesn't deserve any high ground on the security issue.  ¶ 7/14/2005 10:00:00 PM 0 comments

  We should remember Hatch said this In all honesty, the facts thus far -- and the e-mail involved -- indicate to me that there is not a problem here," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (news, bio, voting record) (R-Utah). "I have always thought this is a tempest in a teapot."  ¶ 7/14/2005 06:07:00 PM 0 comments

  Why won't Cooper talk? Quite a few commentators and journalists have been saying that Novak and others should talk about what they've said to Fitzgerald and the grand jury. Why is it that Cooper has not spoken about his testimony? I hope it is because he's going to write about it. Soon.  ¶ 7/14/2005 05:19:00 PM 0 comments

  Blogger on the edge- shield law I've got a couple of slants on this one- the federal shield legislation now proposed won't protect bloggers.

I think this is an excellent opportunity for the pajama-clad publishers to fulfill their individualistic destinies. They can often be heard trumpeting themselves as the many sole defenders of truth and slayers of MSM. What greater vindication of the singular intellectual courage of Instapundit then to stand and say, "I need no law to protect me, for the truth is my shield and the light of knowledge the only sword (not to be taken as an endorsement of gun control though I support it on a limited basis) I need. You know, I am a pseudo-libertarian law professor."

The other take on this is that hastily crafted, knee-jerk legislation affords the opportunity for these kinds of unnecessary and potentially harmful distinctions to be made. We probably need to tweak it some, but the present way isn't that bad. And if you want some intimation of that, think about how Fitzgerald might really be on to something.

I am extremely skeptical of his motives and methods, thusly I have appropriately savaged them here. My thinking, I am beginning to see, has been clouded by a prejudicial assumption that all the journalists involved have so far told the truth. I'm beginning to wonder. If I was wrong about that, it would vindicate Fitzgerald's actions in a number of ways.  ¶ 7/14/2005 04:23:00 PM 0 comments

  Debilitating effects of thinking like this A few buzz words/hot point issues and you are able to climb in the web indices. Never mind that what you are saying doesn't make any sense at all. Totally without a rational sequence and not really funny. Nor particularly well written.

Why?  ¶ 7/13/2005 08:25:00 PM 0 comments

  Working, political and economic choices Costco shareholders were reported to be unhappy with management for these same points in one Wall Street Journal story. I hope they read this.  ¶ 7/13/2005 07:50:00 PM 0 comments

  Miller, a martyr in perspective This isn't a good time for journalists. This article catches some of the partisan scorn being cast on each side as this unfolds. Somewhat similar to this earlier post of mine.  ¶ 7/13/2005 06:47:00 PM 0 comments

  Kuttner now believes another's ox is being gored- via Romenesko My statements concerning the motivations of Fitzgerald have caused me to have some concern over whether I might be later retracting them. Eh, I shouldn't worry so much. I think it is possible that there isn't a straight line political connection to the WH for Mr. Fitzgerald. I do, however, firmly believe (and also feel the evidence supports) there is a philosophical political connection to the WH.

I am also not one of those that got all misty-eyed over Miller going to jail.  ¶ 7/13/2005 05:06:00 PM 0 comments

  Well, it's about time. The press is not the opposition party (in fact, even saying that about this exchange puts the commentator in jeopardy of losing any serious consideration). They are, however, the natural opposition to the government. Bless 'em.  ¶ 7/13/2005 04:46:00 PM 0 comments

  Frist making cagey coffer move for '08 This protection for gun manufacturers is a cagey stroke. Big time political currency with some of the base and assurance of a grateful industry for his campaign coffers.  ¶ 7/13/2005 04:31:00 PM 0 comments

  Yo, Shrub, now where is Osama? Bushco, can you match this?  ¶ 7/12/2005 09:31:00 PM 0 comments

  The Big Lie- I mean really big. I always thought the Christian god was one of love. Well, in this part of Kansas, god hates a lot of people and things. For instance Sweden. I also thought god hated the sin not the sinner.

This particular page is about how everything the media does is to push the "okay to be gay" message. I thought it was all about money.

The language at the site is so out of the ordinary that you are drawn to it. There is some weird Freudian mojo goin' on when a Christian site talks about a feces and semen smeared Bible.  ¶ 7/11/2005 09:52:00 PM 0 comments

  For those of you that didn't get enough with Jon Benet More make-up than twenty hookers on a Saturday night.  ¶ 7/11/2005 09:17:00 PM 0 comments

  Press beats up on McClellan About goddamn time. How 'bout this-

"Scott, in addition to being in the context of the sunny day and the criminal investigation, this is also in the context of a serious breach of national security. Tell us what steps are being taken to prevent a future occurrence from these individuals.  ¶ 7/11/2005 08:44:00 PM 0 comments

  Rove- ribbit, two, three, four NYTimes' Cooper talked to Rove on "double super secret background"(insert "Animal House" joke here) three days before the Novak column appeared. Looks like he takes the blame for Plame mainly because he's lame.  ¶ 7/10/2005 05:05:00 PM 0 comments

  i-neighbors.org Hyper-local media project developed by MIT.

Content management site for a user defined group (500 households max.) with links for contacting local government. I've just started playing with it but so far so good.  ¶ 7/10/2005 08:00:00 AM 0 comments

  None of this nancying around like the Americans Also- "What... do you think you are doing? This is London..."

Cry havoc and let slip the SAS!  ¶ 7/09/2005 10:10:00 PM 0 comments

  Now it's called cross-platform delivery Redstone says no more media conglomerates. Same difference, or lack there of.  ¶ 7/09/2005 06:03:00 PM 0 comments

  How the new-fangled thing will become the same ol' thing When I first posted on the Tonganoxie Mirror it was after they had gotten some notice from Poynter. Like I said, it was a little town and I wondered about the mechanism/business model behind its web presence. Well it was as I suspected. It didn't take much nosin' around at the site to see that it was heavily dependent upon the nearby LJWorld.

I've posted recently on the Lawrence paper (a local media conglomerate) and that despite some cutting-edge work for them by Adrian Holovaty, I couldn't see them making any change in their establishment/machine stance.

This looks like media consolidation to me. Same ol' thing.  ¶ 7/09/2005 03:39:00 PM 0 comments

  via Slashdot- Hack CVS video cam It was done in a matter of days (I said less than a week).  ¶ 7/09/2005 02:54:00 PM 0 comments

  Are we to become the ones we fight? The Times puts this in perspective:

"Darwinian evolution is the foundation of modern biology. While researchers may debate details of how the mechanism of evolution plays out, there is no credible scientific challenge to the underlying theory."

The perceived position of Catholicism has been in stark contrast to the fundamentalists. The church has taken a position that was a result of the battle with Humanism and the Reformation. In recent years the church has slowly moved to respond to the evangelical surge. If this cardinal's essay is representative of the church's new outlook, we're talking major sea change.

  ¶ 7/09/2005 10:30:00 AM 0 comments

  info@ap.org "Isn't this a pretty lame excuse for allowing a source to remain unidentified? Would you be willing to go to jail to protect this source? Could you at least share; At what point in the discussion was this status requested/granted as a condition of speaking to you?

'It was just a spiraling of downward emotions," says the school's principal. She spoke on the condition that she and her school not be identified, out of fear that being named would cause another Web frenzy.'

P.S. Response may be published/posted. "

Note: I wonder if either AP or the principal have ever heard of Google?  ¶ 7/08/2005 11:54:00 PM 0 comments

  Secular Fighter The take away line- "Have you ever seen a government go to church?"  ¶ 7/08/2005 11:31:00 PM 0 comments

  Citizen Journalist- Jarvis take note I like to stay away from these prurient pig-piles but this has an element I can't resist. When the pajama-clad publishers line up to rail against MSM, they can count this beast amongst their number. Yo, they can attempt to weasel and equivocate but this diarist is theirs. I wonder if they'll feel any less superior.

This past week we also got a look at the underside of immediate citizen media in the case of the Korean Dog-poop girl. She was inconsiderate and rude so they came out of the woodwork to make her life hell. And her family's. Altogether, not a positive side of what the web can do.  ¶ 7/08/2005 07:17:00 PM 0 comments

  Dukes Don't Do It According to Toyota, the residents of the southeast require more training than Canadians.  ¶ 7/08/2005 05:49:00 AM 0 comments

  Finally laid to rest According to Babs Bush little bro' Jeb was the Golden One. Put into that kind of familial perspective one could see why he might feel a need to stretch and reach beyond the shadow of his brother. Or he simply was stoking the base for his national ambitions in '08.

Whatever the motivation, the end result was sickening. After the Schiavo autopsy showed that she had been in a vegetative state that was embarrassingly different from what the religious nutcases said, he felt one more ghoulish effort was needed.

May she rest in peace now.  ¶ 7/07/2005 08:06:00 PM 0 comments

  Good, free music I'm listening to Yahoo's free net-radio (Launchcast). Decent music with a really low hassle factor. You can program your own station ala iPod-Stones, Etta James, reggae, blues, The Band and my secret, dark pleasure; old country and bluegrass, "He stopped lovin' her today..."  ¶ 7/07/2005 06:32:00 PM 0 comments

  The match ain't over Yes, of course the government is stronger: Always has been. And every politician has tried to manipulate and control the media. But what is being put forward by the Republicans now isn't just about the way they've whipped the press into submission. It is also about the clamp-down on the availability of information for the citizens. The FOIA is now just a rapidly fading memory.

I hit this point recently. I'm just not willing to throw in the towel.  ¶ 7/07/2005 04:14:00 PM 0 comments

  Congrats! For making it on the map. When I was in Tonganoxie, it was one podunk little town that didn't even qualify as a jerk-water-burg. Great memories, though.  ¶ 7/07/2005 04:02:00 PM 0 comments

  Bombs in London French?  ¶ 7/07/2005 05:55:00 AM 0 comments

  Shucks! I shoulda known the name would have been taken.  ¶ 7/07/2005 03:28:00 AM 0 comments

  This is gettin' old, but I guess the Plame thing is giving the usual suspects the opportunity to do the usual thing. Here we have a Blight Bling Blog ignoring facts and trying to rewrite history. They figure, post it, InstaGlen links to it and in no time at all tens of thousands take it as gospel.

Wilson refused to believe an assertion by a former Nigerian PM ( retired to go into the spam biz?). Well that doesn't matter. These guys believed Shrub and are also currently awaiting more spam.  ¶ 7/07/2005 01:50:00 AM 0 comments

  Deep Throat's Blog This kinda isn't another Rovegate post: Periodically I have to check in and see what kinda nonsense Jeff is saying.

He starts off on the journalistic protections issue, and as part of a try at establishing his cred's as a pseudo-outsider to the MSM, relates he feels that today Deep Throat would have had a blog.

Okay Jeff, the FBI and Liddy never would have been able to track that down? Woodster did what Napster couldn't- cover the trail.

Jeff also said blogs mean brighter laundry.  ¶ 7/07/2005 01:32:00 AM 0 comments

  Indictment? A while back when I first heard the rumors that the Plame leak was the work of Rove and Libby, I was skeptical. I thought they would be able to find a lesser functionary to do the dirty work. Meanwhile the, at least circumstantial, evidence continued to mount. The folks over at Counterpunch aren't usually given to being stupid and they're coming up with a Rove indictment.  ¶ 7/06/2005 11:52:00 PM 0 comments

  Miller still a tool? Citing a WaPo article, Josh thinks maybe Miller was spreading the word not getting it. Wouldn't the irony in that be great? If she gets bagged for carrying water for Bushco again, well, I might start considering there is a god.  ¶ 7/06/2005 11:40:00 PM 0 comments

  Limbaugh is trying to spin this Yes, the story says Atty. Black's pile was slightly larger than the prosecutor's. But the lyin' lump will soon have his day in criminal court.  ¶ 7/06/2005 09:07:00 PM 0 comments

  Miller Goes To Jail Miller will be doing time in a D.C. area jail. On the upside, correction reform is looking like it will be a hot topic.  ¶ 7/06/2005 05:17:00 PM 0 comments

  Monkey #1, meet the millionth monkey Wisdom of the street.  ¶ 7/05/2005 09:42:00 PM 0 comments

  Coin Toss? Let the judge decide This issue seems tailor-made for the discretion of a judge (one open to review and held to constitutional and case law). I can't imagine any statue, no matter how well crafted, that could take into consideration all the notable exceptions necessary to making this workable for democracy.

This guy,Steve Chapman, sniffs around the reasons for not crafting a shield law. Also see the Labbe piece.

I favor somewhat of a floating concept of when an individual or organization is serving (or might serve) the needs of democratic information flow.  ¶ 7/05/2005 04:33:00 PM 0 comments

  Time My thinking on Time's response is somewhat evolving. While I do think they took a pragmatic approach and not a principled one, I do feel they did this knowing that it would push the story along. I also think that it will leave Cooper largely able to do his job and make the connections he needs to even if he remains at Time.  ¶ 7/05/2005 03:51:00 AM 0 comments

  Something Else So much of the discussion surrounding the Plame affair has now focused on the criminal proceedings. There's also been a right dandy show with a whole lot of journalists in the spotlight. I think it is now a good time to start considering the various other aspects of this.

Whether disclosing her status as a CIA employee was a crime or not, it was a reckless and unprincipled act. Rove's description of her as "fair game" to Chris Matthews is a pretty good lead in tracking down that.  ¶ 7/05/2005 03:38:00 AM 0 comments

  So I don't always behave when I go visiting I posted this in comments
Once again, Bushco has managed to throw the press to the mercies of the mob. I think some serious milestones in the Plame/leak affair have been missed in you all's thinking. So "many people" (in addition to the initial 6 call recipients) knowing may very well be the result of Fitzgerald kickin' up the dust. I also suspect that Time may have fallen on its sword in order to advance the story.

Dig into your archives and you'll find that it was a Rove/Libby (Cheney's CofC) tag-team doing this. This was a high level operation and Fitzgerald has already interviewed Bush and Cheney. I want to know what they knew and when.

I think the chronology and the question of under what auspices this information was delivered to Libby and Rove will be quite damning. The shit-splatter will hit some key people.

I've got plenty of issues with the way the news business has shouldered its duties. I'm not going to be their best defender. But...

Lotsa Mon.AM quarterbacking going on here about how others need to give up their ability to earn a livelihood (which is what not playing the game will do) in order to fulfill their duties. You, as citizens, have duties also. This kinda starts to register on the chickenhawk-meter. Why aren't you out in the street?

Or at least calling for the right heads to fall.  ¶ 7/04/2005 02:09:00 PM 0 comments

  Another Good Man! Update: Went early on this: At this time this SEAL has not been found.  ¶ 7/04/2005 12:34:00 PM 0 comments

  Precision Munition Kills Women and Children In Compound. You have to parse the language. 17 women and children "villagers" were killed in a "terrorist compound" by "precision" munitions.  ¶ 7/04/2005 09:51:00 AM 0 comments

  Taking the Circus on the road This group of conservative web and radio people are going to Baghdad where they will report from the Green Zone. They feel the "winning" story isn't being told.

I hope they come back whole and alive. I have serious doubts they will come back having learned anything.  ¶ 7/04/2005 09:29:00 AM 0 comments

  Novak Sang Novak didn't take the Fifth. He talked if for no other reason then that he'll be able to write quite a story afterwards. Novak probably would have been granted immunity had he tried that.  ¶ 7/04/2005 09:16:00 AM 0 comments

  Pledge This! The Pledge of Allegiance was written by a socialist. For all you reactionaries, that's a Commie. This puts the inclusion of "under God" during the red-baiting days into some perspective. The irony of this goes even deeper in that the author, Francis Bellamy, was a Baptist minister who saw no need to include those words.  ¶ 7/04/2005 07:18:00 AM 0 comments

  Almost a flat-out lie AP and Gedda are mistaken in their analysis. The Botswana HIV assistance has been shown to be largely a sham. Lotsa show, very little go.

Shrub's fascination with Africa, I believe, is because of the looming strategic (oil) importance of the continent. He's looking for counter-measures to the growing Muslim influence in the area.  ¶ 7/03/2005 05:46:00 PM 0 comments

  Time Taking Their Lumps This may be a devious way to fulfill their civic responsibility while it appears they are reneging on their journalistic code.

This will move the story along (and it does need a push) while allowing Cooper to keep his credibility intact.

The tag team of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby working this leak meant that the operation came from the top. The burning questions are;

What did Shrub know?
When did he know it?  ¶ 7/03/2005 04:50:00 PM 0 comments

  Good Man!   ¶ 7/03/2005 04:46:00 PM 0 comments

  Lame I downloaded the personal edition of Argali. I use WHOIS and the free people-search sites in my guerilla war with the spammers and phishers. This site got pushed recently in a number of spots. So far Zaba has consistently beat this one.  ¶ 7/03/2005 04:23:00 PM 0 comments

  Hypocrite KARL ROVE, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF:

"Well it’s sad — I mean they’re putting their commitment to politics above their commitment to doing what’s right for the country..."  ¶ 7/03/2005 03:00:00 PM 0 comments

  They're at it This item is rising in the indices. The angle-biting intellects are at it because Williams took a broader vision of the news and didn't think their false accusations about the Iranian prez had news value. Pig-pile all you want, you mo-mo's, he was right and you were wrong.  ¶ 7/03/2005 10:14:00 AM 0 comments

  Still Tryin' I imagine a lot of crap is going to fly in the direction of the Iranian prez. We'll see how much sticks. The crazed gopher below was on NBC's Brian Williams for taking a reasonable view.  ¶ 7/02/2005 09:26:00 PM 0 comments

  Karadzic This is a man that should not be walking free.  ¶ 7/02/2005 08:36:00 PM 0 comments

  Crazed Gopher   ¶ 7/02/2005 08:33:00 PM 0 comments

  Rove needs a lawyer Not the ridiculous spin from InstaGlen. You guys better hope a determination is made that no crime was committed. Otherwise, we'll be talking about the cover that Shrub provided.  ¶ 7/02/2005 07:42:00 PM 0 comments

  Starting to sink in on the right "Indeed, if Rove is revealed to be the source in the Time memos, only three possibilities present themselves.

1. Cooper or others at Time doctored the documents to implicate Rove. (Incredibly unlikely.)
2. Rove lied to the president on this matter.
3. Rove told the president the truth and the president has kept him on, despite
the implications."

I particularly like the last one. Although I've said it, impeachment is probably swingin' for the fences.  ¶ 7/02/2005 07:19:00 PM 0 comments

  Blight Bling Blogs Wrong Again This guy has every reason to have an axe to grind with the new Iranian president and still says he isn't the one in the pictures.

Well, they'll just keep tryin' to whip up a war fever.  ¶ 7/02/2005 05:54:00 PM 0 comments

  Good News The other good thing about the high level White House involvement in the Plame leak is how it will undermine any attempt at taking the high ground in the coming fight over the SCOTUS nominee. Hot Dog!  ¶ 7/02/2005 03:48:00 PM 0 comments

  The Big Kahuna was in on it- IMPEACH If this thing went as far up as Rove, you can bet Shrub caught wind of it. Even after the fact, his obligation was to deal with it.  ¶ 7/02/2005 03:26:00 PM 0 comments

  Boagie says, "Shut up and calculate.." With a metaphysical certainty, the theme runs through life.

"On one level, the weirdness of quantum theory isn't a problem at all. The mathematical framework is sound and describes all these bizarre phenomena well. If we humans can't imagine a physical reality that corresponds to our equations, so what? That attitude has been called the "shut up and calculate" interpretation of quantum mechanics. But to others, our difficulties in wrapping our heads around quantum theory hint at greater truths yet to be understood."  ¶ 7/01/2005 11:01:00 PM 0 comments

  Trivializing the Opposition Can't really say that this is the first shot fired in this fight but it will be in the conservatives primary volley.

"The credentials or qualifications of the particular nominee under consideration will be largely beside the point.
So, the same nasty fight is going to occur regardless of who is nominated, and be just as nasty and expensive, regardless of who is nominated and the particular perception of whether he or she is moderate or conservative. So, it seems to me, the Bush Administration would be smart to simply nominate the best person that they want, and not be tricked into thinking that they can somehow avoid a nasty confirmation battle by nominating someone with a more 'moderate' perception."

No point in even trying, just nominate the likes of Ashcroft and anyone not on board is a negative obstructionist.  ¶ 7/01/2005 06:47:00 PM 0 comments

  Rummy and Wolfy gotta have fun Reed and Delay pitching in on this gift for the boys this Xmas.  ¶ 7/01/2005 05:09:00 PM 0 comments

  O'Conner Retires This had been on the radar and it has been reasoned that this is why Rehnquist chose to stay.  ¶ 7/01/2005 01:23:00 PM 0 comments

  Iranian Prez Was Communist Witch-hunter Via AP:

"Some of the former students have said Ahmadinejad opposed the takeover even though he was a member of the hard-line Islamic student group that seized the embassy. In the turbulent early days of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ahmadinejad was more concerned with putting down leftists and communists at universities than striking at Americans, former students said. During the long standoff, he was writing and speaking against leftist students, they said. "

I imagine he hunted some of the people I went to school with. I thought this aspect of the story was worth mentioning since the Blight Bling Blogs are pushing another one.
  ¶ 7/01/2005 03:04:00 AM 0 comments