Why didn't they leave a forwarding address?

NY Times: Maureen Dowd, 2/9/2003

Mr. Bush's presidency came into focus when he made his bullhorn vow to get "the people who knocked these buildings down." But we're not getting the creeps who knocked the buildings down. We're getting the creeps whose address we know.

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Another nude war protest

BBC News: Australians bare all in anti-war protest.

Somebody probably needs to keep a record of all these protests. Might as well be me! So let me introduce the Nude War Protest Archive.

If you know if any I miss, please let me know. Email me!

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No Bush! Or maybe No, Bush!

Yet another nude women protest, or political statement, against the war. This time in Central Park New York, in the snow. Except for the killing and stuff, this war talk seems to bring out the best in people!

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This .... is .... too .... funny

Samuel L. Jackson is one of my favorite actors, but I had never seen this. This is just too funny. I present to you the Samuel L. Jackson Soundboard.

Does ... he ... look ... like ... a ... bitch!

Via Meehawl.com.

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Notes about Washington 2/7: Filibuster!

Ruminate This: Filibuster!

Ruminate This: Filibuster Estrada- how and why.

NY Times: Steamrolling judicial nominees.

NY Times: Delayed debate starts on judges picked by Bush

First of, call the toll free number 1-800-839-5276, ask to be connected to Zell Miller's office, and as a voter from Georgia request that Zell Miller support a filibuster on Estrada. It takes two minutes maybe. Will he? Probably not, but lets pretend he cares about what we think, just for kicks.

Why do you want to do this? From Ruminate This:

While Mr. Estrada has no experience on the bench, he is indeed a practicing attorney - one whose anti-consumer, anti-union, anti-environmental corporate advocacy is well-documented. He'd just rather not talk about those things with you.

What is it that Mr. Estrada is concerned you might learn about him? Why the unprecedented secrecy? A simple examination of his work history and associations reveal a hard-core conservative ideology. Miguel Estrada is not simply a Republican. That wouldn't be an issue. Miguel Estrada is an activist and extremist. While he has every right to strongly-held views and associations, our Courts have no room for activist judges, whether they be from the left or the right. An independent judiciary is a fair judiciary. Americans of moderate view should fight this appointment.

This guy does pro bono legal work opossing death row inmates and the homeless, he is a corporate attorney that argues against even the most basic consumer rights, and he is a member of several ultra-conservative organizations. He was on the legal team that argued for the suppression of the Florida recount and succeeded in having the Supreme Court appoint Bush as President. The Bush administration is proclaiming him as a great Hispanic jurist, but the Hipsanic community does not support him or his beliefs. Finally, he is violently anti-abortion, and this judgeship is a stepping stone for him, as the GOP tries to get him on the Supreme Court. That will be the next step if he is confirmed.

The Republican party has spent the last 8 years refusing to approve hundreds of judges nominated by Clinton. The backlog in open judgeships results from this game the GOP played. Now they want to ram through all these ultra conservative appointments and have a conservative or right leaning court system. What they cannot get through legislation, they are going to try to get by judicial activism.They need to be stopped, and sent a message.

You can do this. Call the toll free number 1-800-839-5276, ask to be connected to Zell Miller's office, and as a voter from Georgia request that Zell Miller support a filibuster on Estrada. If you are not from Georgia, find out who your representative is, and call.

Do you want a preview of who else is coming down the chute? From the NY Times:

Jeffrey Sutton, is a leading states' rights advocate who in 2001 persuaded the Supreme Court to rule against a nurse with breast cancer on the ground that the Americans With Disabilities Act does not apply to state employers.

Deborah Cook, regularly sides, as a state judge, with corporations. In one case she maintained that a worker whose employer lied to him about his exposure to dangerous chemicals should not be able to sue for his injuries.

Jay Bybee, who was heard from yesterday, has argued that United States senators should be elected by state legislators, not the voters. Questions have also been raised about whether, as a White House aide, Mr. Bybee attempted to suppress a criminal investigation of financing of Iraqi weapons purchases.

My biggest fear of Bush and the GOP taking the White House while controlling the Senate was the devastation the would bring to the judicial system. It is here. It is happening. Call your Senators! 1-800-839-5276

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Are Georgia's voting machines safe? Maybe not.

Scoop Breaking News: Voting system integrity flaw.

Blackbox Voting: Ballot tampering in the 21st century.

Notable Software: Electronic Voting.

Talion: Vote counting machines.

Common Dreams: If you want to win an election, just control the voting machines.

See the Forest: Top blog on voting irregularities.

Diebold Election Systems, the company that supplies 100% of Georgia's electronic voting machines, has security flaws worse than Microsoft. From Scoop:

Feb 5, 2003: Yesterday, technicians and programmers for Diebold Election Systems, the company that supplied every single voting machine for the surprising 2002 results in the state of Georgia, the company that is preparing to convert the state of Maryland to its no-paper-trail computerized voting, admitted to a file-sharing system that amounts to a colossal security flaw.

Diebold parks thousand of files on the internet on an unprotected domain. These files include elections files, specifications, and even voting program patches. Anybody could access and tamper with election files, altering results. Voting program patches could be modified to incorrectly record votes. Specifications for hardware and software could be downloaded, giving hackers a blueprint to the architecture, and basically a key to the back door.

It couldn't really be that easy to locate the files and actually tamper with anything that could affect election results, could it? From Scoop:

Though the address is obscure, whistleblowers found the FTP site using a simple Google search......

These files, freely shared and sometimes snagged from the FTP and e-mailed to election workers and technicians, included hardware and software specifications, election results files, the vote-counting program itself, and "replacement files" for Diebold's GEMS vote-counting system and for the Windows software underlying the system. In fact, anyone with a modem could have hunkered over a computer to download, upload or slightly change and overwrite the files on Diebold's FTP site.

Blackbox Voting gives you the Top Ten Way to Rig a Voting Machine.

Wow! And these are the same machines that counted and tallied every single vote cast in Georgia's 2002 election, which had some very surprising results that certainly were different from almost every single poll taken in the days leading up to the election. Well at least we know that Georgia and other states would never buy voting machines from a company that may have any conflict of interest. Well maybe we know? From Blackbox Voting:

It used to be that we knew who our elected officials were and the names of local election officials were a matter of public record. Manufacturers, who now count our votes, are not required to reveal the names of owners or key people. The codes counting our votes are considered "proprietary" and outside officials are not allowed to examine them.

Some voting machine manufacturers are salted with vested interests. Among the owners of voting machine companies and testing labs: active politicians, corporate lobbyists, former CIA directors, and people who have been involved in prosecutions for bribery, kickbacks, and fraud. Our "watchdog" groups are also influenced by special interests. Voting machine companies are using lobbying and political influence to influence purchase of machines, specifications and regulations.

Well it is certainly good to know that if we suspect any irregularity, we can go back and do a manual recount. Well, actually you can't. If the machines in Georgia are tampered with, those tampered votes are permanent. We have no method of recounting and verifying. Georgia has eliminated any paper trail of votes. From Talion:

Because current vote-counting systems are not sufficiently protected from manipulation, and are getting less and less auditable, it is now very important to know who has access to the machines. There is no place for secrecy in our voting-counting system. Secret voting, yes. Secret vote-COUNTING, no - in fact, it's unconstitutional.

For some inexplicable reason, the U.S. is rushing to eliminate the only physical record of the mark made by each voter, going to straight touch-screens with no paper trail. Canada doesn't allow this. Neither does Japan. Why are we so casually throwing away the only real audit trail that protects our vote?

With touch-tone screens, we simply have no paper trail for millions of votes, with private, secret, and (according to computer security experts), insecure programming for vote-counting machines that invites tampering. It takes only ONE true believer with access to manipulate the counting code.

So, do we even know if the votes are being counted correctly in the first place? Surely these things are checked? From: Notable Software:

The vendors and certifying authorities have taken a "trust us" stance, claiming that the machines are "fail-safe" and that the internal record and tally constitutes an accurate reflection of the ballots cast on the machine. In fact, machines have failed in actual use -- choices have been displayed that were not selected by the voters, and votes have been mis-recorded (in some cases losing them entirely, or shifting them to other ballot positions). Some of the machines enter a lock-down mode when the polls are closed, rendering it impossible to later check that votes could have been cast properly for each candidate or issue.

Vendors have tied the hands of election officials and independent examiners by protecting their systems under restrictive trade-secret agreements, making it a felony to inspect the operation of the machines without a comprehensive court order.

From Scoop:

....Diebold Accuvote machines appear to have "back door" mechanisms which may allow reprogramming after votes have been cast. Diebold’s Accuvote machines were developed by a company founded by Bob Urosevich, a CEO of Diebold Election Systems and Global Election Systems, which Diebold acquired. Together with his brother Todd, he also founded ES&S, where Todd Urosevich still works. ES&S and Sequoia use identical software and hardware in their optical scan machines. All three companies’ machines have miscounted recent elections, sometimes electing the wrong candidates in races that were not particularly close.

So what do we know now. Georgia has rushed out and replaced every voting machine in Georgia with machines that cannot be recounted, nor the process audited or verified. The company that sold us these machines has security flaws you could drive a truck through, stores vital information on a public accessible website, and has a history of miscounting elections. The people who manufacture these machines are not required to reveal anybody who may have a conflict of interest in vote counting.

Does this sound like conspiracy theories to you. Well maybe not. From Common Dreams:

The respected Washington, DC publication The Hill has confirmed that former conservative radio talk-show host and now Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel was the head of, and continues to own part interest in, the company that owns the company that installed, programmed, and largely ran the voting machines that were used by most of the citizens of Nebraska.

Back when Hagel first ran there for the U.S. Senate in 1996, his company's computer-controlled voting machines showed he'd won stunning upsets in both the primaries and the general election. The Washington Post (1/13/1997) said Hagel's "Senate victory against an incumbent Democratic governor was the major Republican upset in the November election." According to Bev Harris of Blackbox Voting, Hagel won virtually every demographic group, including many largely Black communities that had never before voted Republican. Hagel was the first Republican in 24 years to win a Senate seat in Nebraska.

Six years later Hagel ran again, this time against Democrat Charlie Matulka in 2002, and won in a landslide. As his website says, Hagel "was re-elected to his second term in the United States Senate on November 5, 2002 with 83% of the vote. That represents the biggest political victory in the history of Nebraska."

What Hagel's website fails to disclose is that about 80 percent of those votes were counted by computer-controlled voting machines put in place by the company affiliated with Hagel. Built by that company. Programmed by that company.

Maybe the surprising voting results in the Georgia Senate race that elected the draft avoider Saxby Chambliss over war hero Max Cleland was counted accurately, as were the votes in the Barnes Perdue shocker. Maybe they were not.

One thing for sure, is that with Georgia's voting machines, we have no way of finding out.

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Child support legislation pending.

AJC: Bill to reform child support law gains senate co-sponsor.

Ehrhart's bill would revise the way courts determine child-support payments, now based essentially on gross income.

Under his bill, the courts would base payments on net income, taking into consideration tax consequences and potential outside income. Most people affected by the bill have salaries in the range of $20,000 to $75,000 a year, he said.

"This allows the court to take into consideration the finances of both parties," Ehrhart said. "The standard we have now is a thoughtless standard."

It would be nice to see a change in the way child support is allocated. As it stands now, the law is slanted towards the custodial parent. No consideration is given to salaries of both parents, division of time, and other amounts being spent. I have seen way to many people screwed by a spouse. The idea is to make sure the children are provided with what they need. In many cases child support becomes a means to maintaining a certain lifestyle.

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Notes about Washington: CNN/Gallup pool shocker! Americans do not trust Bush!

MWO:Credibilty gap! 58% believe Bush would knowingly lie about Iraq.

CNN: Inside Politics transcript (about 2/3 down).

Gallup.com: Powell's UN appearance important to public.

In a UN presentation, the Bush administration is very or somewhat likely to:

Knowingly present inaccurate information: 49%

Conceal evidence against Bush position: 58%

Wow! We are not talking about getting a hummer here people. We are talking about the people of the US not trusting the President of the United States to present truthful information regarding a declaration of war! This is serious.

Who do you trust more on Iraq:

Powell: 63%

Bush: 24%

This does not speak well for our drunken frat boy, and his chickenhawk administration. However, I doubt the conservative media will be reporting on this poll at all. CNN mentioned it on Inside Politics, but nobody else has picked it up yet.

 

CNN: Powell to Iraq, "Prove it!"

This whole line of Iraq proving that it does not have WMDs is idiotic. How do you prove you do not have something. What would you say if somebody said to you that they thought you had their stolen radio? They asked you to prove that you didn't.  You told them to search your house. They didn't find it. Again they asked you to prove you didn't have it. They searched your car and didn't find it. Yet again they asked you to prove you didn't have it. After this goes on for a while, what can you do? How do you prove that you do not have their stolen radio? You can't. Iraq has opened up to the UN inspectors. They have searched anywhere they have wanted to. They have turned up over a dozen old gas missles that held no chemicals. You cannot prove that you do not have possession of something.

Next the Bush administration will say, "Prove you aren't in cahoots with the Taliban." Idiotic!

Nothing has been proven, and Powell has nothing new to add. They have lied and misrepresented reports. They want to invade Iraq, getting Americans and Iraqi civilians killed. Nothing is going to deter them until they have their hands on that oil.

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Him and George W. Bush.

AKA, Michael Jackson's face melt.

AJC: Jackson's interview makes waves in Britain.

Jackson denied having had any alterations to his face other than two operations on his nose because "it helped me breathe better so I can hit higher notes."

"I am telling you the honest truth," he said. "I didn't do anything to my face."

Watch for lightning!

And two little operations later to help him breathe.......

See a flash for Michael's full face melt here. Click on Jackson face melt.

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You mean they like dressing up like that?

AJC: Protests planned at bash promoted for pimps.

In the city that has just put 14 men away for pimping underage prostitutes, organizers plan to hold the "Players Ball." They claim that this is just a fashion show for morons who think they are cool by wearing obnoxious colors, fake fur, high heels, ugly hats, and fake jewelry. Others think that it is a party celebrating pimps, and that pack is out circling their prey.

The Atlanta City Council, Concerned Black Clergy, NAACP and the Nation of Islam is tasting blood, or the plastic flavor of synthetic fur. They will be out in force picketing early. They are also getting lots of press coverage on these fashion victims and their little shindig. Upscale Entertainment, promoters of the tacky and rather pathetic event, refuse to back away and plan to hold the event. Guy Bryant, manager of the club holding the festivities, appears to be in the hotseat. He is scared to cancel the "fashion show" fearing he could be sued. Looks like he is stuck between purple velour and dark grey pin stripes.

Snoop Dogg, second rate celebrity, and Bishop Don Juan, former pimp turned preacher, will be the hosts. A former pimp turned precher? Why do I get the feeling that somebody is still getting screwed? And I don't think Bishop Don Juan is his given name.

I do have some advice for the "players" attending the event. First, Huggy Bear was not cool. He was comedic relief for Starsky and Hutch, that's all. He was actually a snitch. Second bring all the drugs and underage girls you want to the party. There shouldn't be any cops anywhere near the event.

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Mixed reviews on Bill Garret, head of Atlanta Human Society.

AJC: Animal control vs. animal rescue.

He has been called Mr. Kill, for which there is still a lawasuit pending, and yet he was instrumental in getting Georgia's laws changed to make sure many forms of animal abuse are now felonies. He seems to accept the reality that many animals do need to be put down, yet has worked tirelessly for the Atlanta Human Society to help animals. Somebody is getting it wrong, yet for Fulton County, it does not matter who. They are putting the management contract up for bids.

The new contract released last week mandates public adoption from the Fulton pound, and it requires cooperation with animal rescue groups, said James Fason, deputy director of Environment and Community Development for Fulton County.

The parting of ways for Fulton County and the Atlanta Humane Society is not pretty. It is now a "I quit, no you're fired" affair. In the long run, this is probably the best for Fulton County and the picked up animals. The numbers do not lie. Fulton puts down a much higher percentage of cats and dogs each and every year. Fulton county kills over 80% of captured animals. The ones not killed tend to be wild animals that are re-released. Gwinett and Cobb Counties took in more animals, and yet managed to keep their kill rates around 50%.

Over 100,000 animals a year are put down in the greater Atlanta area. It is a shame that any animals ever need to be put down, but that is a fact of life right now. Maybe Bill Garret saw this and accepted it too easily. Maybe he could have worked more closely with rescue groups. In the end, he has worked tirelessly for the Atlanta Humane Society, and has helped animals. I only hope that Fulton Animal Control can now become a better friend to the animals it picks up, and finds more of them homes.

Fianlly, spay or neuter your pet! Then do the same to your neighbor's pets, whether they like it or not.

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MARTA cutting routes and losing money, but executives still spending lavishly.

AJC: In lean times, MARTA still pays for "frills."

From June to November last year, the agency spent $40,475 on a private exercise company, Bodies in Training. During that period, 30 to 47 senior executives got personal training and nutrition advice each week, while fewer than a dozen rank-and-file workers got aerobics instruction.

In September, three months after the MARTA budget promised "aggressive reductions in travel and conference/seminar expenses," the agency sent 39 people to a week long conference in Las Vegas. Six spouses, a guest, an employee's child and 31 employees, including a consultant and nine of MARTA's 14 executive staff members, went on the trip. It cost more than $70,000.

General Manager Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. spent nearly $15,000 on meals and drinks over the past 18 months -- much of it in pricey restaurants, including more than $6,000 in some of Atlanta's swankiest steakhouses: Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Bones and Chops.

A few months after getting the top job at MARTA in 2001, Ford bought at least $23,000 in office furniture, including a $1,069 hand-rubbed, beveled-glass curio cabinet. The agency already had purchased thousands of dollars' worth of furniture four years before. Since becoming MARTA chief, Ford has spent more than $1,170 with Amazon.com ordering management books, such as "The Art of War" and "How to Grow a Backbone: 10 Strategies for Gaining Power and Influence at Work."

And the list goes on and on. Now, not only does MARTA suck, but the are sucking and the executives are spending a ton of taxpayer's money on themselves. Of course this is money they know they are wasting.....er, spending. Just two weeks ago it was revealed that for three years after leaving her MARTA board chairwoman's seat, one former employee ran up over $10,000 in cell phone fees.

Mayor Shirley? Where are you?

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We have a split decision!

AJC: Groundhogs and shadows.

Gen. Beauregard Lee, of Lilburn, Georgia, emerged from his house, saw no shadow, and thus forecast an early Spring. Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania did see his shadow, and is calling for a late Spring. Don't you just hate it when modern science has conflicting views.

After this scientific dust up between the two groundhogs, the Cobb County School Board is now proposing a sticker to be added to all school books that discuss this newfangled "groundhog science." The sticker reads: "Groundhog science is only a theory. It is not scientific fact. Maybe Springtime begins just because God wants it to." I hate to see the Cobb County School Board evolving into sticker fiends.

There are rumors that Punxsutawney Phil wasn't looking for his shadow when he emerged this year. It is being reported by some that he stuck his head out of the door, asked who the president was, and upon learning it was still Dubya, he slammed the door and deadbolted it.

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