May 01, 2003

Our own personal wind chill (Follywood)

Well, folks - it's been a blast and it's been fun.

Apparently, our domain registrar (namesdirect.com - subsidiary of Dotster.com) have caved to the pressures of the William Morris Agency giant. On April 29, 2003, Dotster.com received a letter from the William Morris Agency in regards to this website. Their complaint accused us of liable and potentially other civil and criminal offenses.

This is another fine example of how Hollywood feels that their opinion and view is the only one that matters. Average citizens are disallowed the free expression of our point of view because they don't like being challenged for their views. I stand firm on the belief that we have done nothing wrong at this website - - The celebrities have expressed their views, and we have responded in kind by expressing our views regarding the thoughts and ideas that they have, publicly, expressed.

Dotster.com has suspended our update information at this domain and have informed us that the DNS information of this domain has been changed and the website will be down within the next 24 hours and our contract with them is now null and void. They are doing this because we did not provide accurate contact information in their public database.

When I explained that the reason we did not provide accurate contact information is because we have received multiple death threats and I did not wish for just anyone to have my personal information - and asked them for suggestions on what to do - Dotster was unmoved. They did not give me the chance to update the information with accurate information and keep the domain. That's not an option - - they are just simply going to shut down our domain - no explanation needed.

Further questioning of Dotster brought me a copy of the letter sent to them by the William Morris Agency and reads as follows:

We, in fact, recieved no such email from the William Morris Agency.

I can say only this - - the fact that we're being shut down because of the William Morris Agency tells me that we truly touched a raw nerve in someone, somewhere. At the very least, it tells me that our message was recieved by the people that it was intended for. The very fact that we cannot express our opinions regarding the views of these stars/celebs shows me, yet again, the double standard that exists in Follywood.

Thank you all for your support at this website - it appears my hands are tied in keeping it open. Dotster will be closing down our site within the next 24-48 hours. I appreciate the hard work that Chris and Reilly have done at this site and appreciate the ongoing and intelligent, provoking discussions held here.

Warm Regards.

Posted by LisaS

In summary, celebs are whining that their 1st Amendment rights are being suppressed, which they aren't. Those who would speak out against the celebs are being silenced.

I've always known that the law favors those who can afford the most lawyers, it's just rare that it is illustrated to brightly.

GORDON | 11:35 pm CDT | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030501_1

April 30, 2003

SARS.

Awhile back when SARS was the new buzzword, we discussed on the forum whether the entire thing was being over hyped, like the shark attacks were the summer before 9/11. It was questioned whether it was more fatal than the annual influenza epidemic, and it was decided that SARS was about 300% more likely to kill you than the flu...at the time it had an approximate 3% morality rate.

New news today:

THE DEATH RATE appears to have risen to 10 percent from 6 percent, said Mark Salter, who heads the clinical network of the Geneva-based WHO.
MSNBC.com

Just to get a little perspective, 10% of the population of China is about 110 million.

The Gulf War II may end up being overshadowed by SARS in the history of the world.

GORDON | 11:35 pm CDT | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030430_3

The poor, abused RIAA.

The RIAA today sent messages to users of a couple P2P applications. All the news stories I'm reading about this are using the term "hacked" when describing what the RIAA did. Last July I wrote about a new bill being debated in Congress which would legally allow the RIAA to hack into systems....the post is here.

Today's article makes a few interesting points:

“COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT WARNING,” the message reads. “When you break the law, you risk legal penalties. There is a simple way to avoid that risk: DON’T STEAL MUSIC.”
At the same time, the industry is collecting the user names of people suspected of illegally offering copyright material with the file-sharing services Kazaa and Grokster, but it doesn’t intend to pursue legal action, said Recording Industry Association of America President Cary Sherman.
MSNBC.com

Wont pursue legal action, right. They'd never go after individual users.

Kazaa owner Sharman Networks likened the RIAA campaign to spam meant to confuse users. Grokster Ltd. President Wayne Rosso called it “a death rattle.”
“It doesn’t bother us, because we are very anti-copyright infringement anyway,” Rosso said. “They think they’re harassing us. No. What they’re doing is declaring war on our users.”

Yep. And this could have repercussions.

Media analysts estimate that as many as 61 million Americans use Internet services such as Kazaa and Grokster to download copyright material.

I have a very hard time believing this. 1 in 4 Americans? Aren't a big chunk of Americans 60+ year old baby boomers? Is P2P popular among retirees? Though a poll of "people you know" isn't statistically viable, only about one person I know in 20 use P2P. I can see that ratio being valid on college campuses, but not outside of them.

The RIAA, meanwhile, plans to send out about 1 million messages per week, Sherman said.

Wonderful, more internet congestion. I wonder how this little tactic will be viewed in light of existing and emerging anti-spam laws?

GORDON | 4:33 pm CDT | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030430_2

Someday I'll figure out why these discussions always involve food.

I don't eat a lot of fruit, but a couple weeks ago in the grocery store I was mysteriously drawn to the fruit area. I had a craving for some peaches and plums, and picked up a few of each. By the time I got home the mood had passed, and they rotted in the fruit drawer.

Today the wife and I were at the grocery store picking up a few perishables. Bread, tomatoes, etc. Watermelons are now in season, and they had some scrumptious looking watermelon quarters on display.

Me: Damn. That watermelon looks good.
Woman: You didn't eat the last fruit you bought. You've lost your fruit privileges.
Me: Yeah, but this time I'll actually eat it.
Woman: Right, sure you will. And Dr. Pepper is root beer.

Why that is funny (forum registration required).

GORDON | 3:27 pm CDT | Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030430_1

April 29, 2003

Maybe the Palestinians have a point.

Maybe Israel really should just cease to exist. The only reason it exists in the first place is because the United Nations is a puppet of the United States, which in turn is a puppet of the Zionists.

I think the argument that really swayed my opinion of this issue was

TEL AVIV, Israel - A huge explosion rocked Tel Aviv early Wednesday, and police said it was a terror attack.

Tel Aviv police spokeswoman Shlomit Hertzberg said, "There has been a terror attack on the seafront walkway." She gave no details.

The walkway lines the Tel Aviv beach from the southern edge of the city leading north several kilometers.

There was no immediate word of casualties.

Israeli radio stations reported that a bomb went off in a restaurant on the seacoast, and there were a number of injuries.
washingtonpost.com

I especially like the part about how it was a beachfront restaurant. Nothing says "we were wronged" like taking out a bunch of random people eating lunch.

How could I have been so blind. Those poor, poor Palestinians.

GORDON | 7:06 pm CDT | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030429_3

W00+.

Hey, anybody know what's being televised this Friday night?

I don't care because I just picked up tickets for X-Men 2.

GORDON | 7:06 pm CDT | Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030429_2

An MIA I didn't even know was M.

Today on the forum a regular pointed us at the Computer Gigalo. He's a serviceman in an undisclosed country somewhere in the neighborhood of Iraq, and is in the Army...but we wont hold that against him. He just probably had a poor upbringing, and was never instilled with character nor strong moral fiber. Don't blame him...blame The System.

Go visit him and say hi. I have to stop writing now before I italicize again.

Oh, and the Feedback thread is a rare one that you'll have to register to see. Crap, I did it again.

GORDON | 12:51 am CDT | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030429_1

April 28, 2003

Slow News Day.

American Greeting is suing Penny Arcade, and Penny Arcade sniped back at them (read it before it gets cease and desisted). And Apple just launched an online music download site...each song $.99. $10 to $13 for an album still seems a little pricey to me, though.

But the best thing I read today was this open letter to Jacques Chirac over at L.T. Smash:

To M. Jacques Chirac

Monsieur President,

It has often been said that Americans take a short view of History. This American does not.

This American remembers that France was the first nation to recognize our Independence, in 1778.

French soldiers fought side by side with Americans in our Revolution. Without the aid of the Marquis de Lafayette, Count Rochambeau, and Admiral Comte de Grasse, we might have lost the struggle. These men are considered heroes in our country. Their names adorn our streets, our warships, and our public squares.

The treaty that sealed our Independence was signed in 1783, in Paris.

Our nations were born of the same Age of Enlightenment.
Liberté --“Give me Liberty or give me Death!”
Égalité – “all Men are created Equal”
Fraternité – E Pluribus Unum
We are spiritual siblings.

This American recalls that a French architect, Pierre L’Enfant, designed our capital city. He is buried within sight of that city, in Arlington National Cemetery.

Our largest territorial expansion occurred in 1803, when Napoléon Bonaparte sold the vast Louisiana Territory to the United States for the bargain price of 80 million francs.

This American remembers that it was a Frenchman, Alexis De Toqueville, who penned the first definitive analysis of “Democracy in America” in 1840.

Two talented Frenchmen, the sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and the architect Gustave Eiffel, designed and constructed one of our most treasured icons, the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated in 1886, it was a gift from the people of France to the people of America, acknowledging our lasting friendship.

This American recalls that in 1917, when Paris was in danger of being overrun by the Kaiser’s armies, President Woodrow Wilson sent two million men and pledged ten billion dollars to save France. Over 30,000 of those men did not return home.

Twenty-eight years later, American forces, side-by-side with Free French forces, liberated France from the scourge of Nazi occupation. Cemeteries full of tens of thousands of American soldiers who died in that struggle dot the French countryside.

This American remembers that France was present at the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949.

When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1991, French forces joined America in the coalition to reverse his unprovoked aggression. French aircraft subsequently participated in the enforcement of the no-fly zones over Southern Iraq.

After the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, France lent material and intelligence support to the American campaign against the Al Qaeda terrorist network.

For well over two centuries, we have been friends and allies.

So how, sir, do you explain your recent behavior?

It is not unprincipled to be opposed to war. War is terrible.

But we have been in agreement, for over twelve years now, that Saddam Hussein must cooperate with the United Nations and abandon his weapons of mass destruction. Together, we passed seventeen resolutions in the Security Council demanding as much.

The last resolution, which was approved unanimously, called for “serious consequences” if Iraq failed to disarm. But the regime of Saddam Hussein continued to play games of obfuscation, denial, and deception.

We all know what “serious consequences” means, sir.

Yet, when the United States and United Kingdom presented an eighteenth resolution with concrete deadlines for compliance, you opposed it. When some of our allies expressed support for our position, you called them “infantile” and “reckless.” You actively lobbied nations in opposition to our efforts.

Had we presented a united front against Saddam Hussein, armed conflict might not have been necessary. But your intransigence has made that outcome impossible. In the process, you undermined the very foundations of NATO and the United Nations.

Your actions have grave consequences, sir. Like so many others, this American had to leave his home and family and go to war – a conflict from which over one hundred Americans will never return.

Today, in a newly liberated Iraq, we are learning the true extent of your betrayal.

Damning documents have been discovered. Reputable media outlets have reported that your government provided intelligence assistance to Saddam Hussein. This assistance allegedly included briefings covering confidential conversations between yourself and President George W. Bush.

These are not the actions of a trusted ally, much less a friend.

You, sir, have no honor.

- LT Smash

So there you go.

GORDON | 7:11 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030428_1

April 27, 2003

Fred on France.

Since this webpage is pretty much my new full time job, I decided to not worry about it on the weekends. Considering this week's down time, however, I decided to make a post today to make up for the lost days. But as a new rule, no more weekend updates.

++++

"Fred on Everything" is one of the oldest links in the left column. Written by Fred Reed, it is a weekly rant about, well, everything Fred deems fit to rant about. Sorry about that preposition-closing sentence...if I'm writing about Fred Reed, I need to watch the grammar. He notices things like that.

Today I got an email notification of a new article, so I grabbed a frosty beverage and sat down to read it. Fred tongue-in-cheek apologetically explains why he supports the French. He goes on to explain why Americans are pretty much not worthy to look down on the French. He gives examples I don't think I agree with showing why our military history isn't as grand as we believe, and goes on to share anecdotes about how friendly they were when he visited Paris.

In former years I often went to Paris for the Air Show. Always the French were tiresomely civil. I had expected the heathen rudeness one associates with moral crusaders. I considered bringing a case at law: I had spent all that money in expectation of gorgeous churlishness, and didn't get any.
Confessional

I don't need to reprint most of what he said; to make my point, and to understand his, you really need to go there and just read the entire thing.

I wrote Fred once before asking a few details of his becoming an expatriate in Mexico and received a polite response, so I know he at least sometimes answers reader mail. As such, I just sent the following:

To: fredreed@laguna.com.mx
From: gordon@dtman.com
Subj: Your recent column....

....in which you are embracing the French while at the same time belittling Americans.

Questions. You are pretty much "siding" yourself with France against the U.S. in this instance. What are your thoughts on the fact that as more evidence is uncovered, it looks like France aided Saddam in every way except actually giving him a couple French infantry divisions? And why are you able to highlight isolated incidents of Americans being crass, but completely overlook isolated desecrations of Allied WW2 graveyards in France?

Just curious. I've disagreed with some of your arguments before, but this is the first time I've seen you be so one-sided.

Cheers,
GORDON

So, no real news, here. I'll be sure to repost a reply, if any, in the Feedback thread.

GORDON | 7:11 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030427_1

April 25, 2003

North Korea.

What to do, what to do.

The United States is establishing a new foreign policy based on preemptiveness against crazed wacko dictators who want to dabble in the trade of weapons of mass destruction. Actually, I'm tired of hearing that phrase. For now on when I mean ""nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons," I'll say "Fluffy Cuddly Kitten Bomb." Or, "FCK Bomb," for short. As in, "We're about to get FCK'd."

As evil wack dictators go, Saddam was average. His main political tactic when a policy was questioned was typically death, if the dissenter was lucky. If he was unlucky he might get to watch his family tortured, raped, mutilated, and finally, mercifully killed. But at least he kept the power on and water running, and allowed a bought and paid for global news network to report from Baghdad. On the scale from 'Benevolent' to 'Absofuckinglutely Crazy,' Saddam was only about 70% toward the deep end. Kim Jong-il, on the other hand, anchors the radical side and is the standard to which all crazies strive. He's the epitome of batshit in the belfry nuts.

For example.

He once kidnapped a South Korean movie director and forced him to make a North Korean monster movie.
He supposedly has a "Pleasure Squad" of kidnapped women of all types from around the world. Word is that he likes blondes.
He thinks Madalaine Albright had a thing for him.
Refers to himself in he third person, "The Peerless Leader," "The Great General," etc.
Pines for the Clinton Administration, a time when he was breaking treaties and still getting respect.
Has been linked to the 1987 Korean Air bombing in an attempt to scare people away from the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Likes Daffy Duck.
And the usual things like eating steak and cognac while his starving people eat tree bark to survive.

M y s o u r c e s.

So, we've established that he has the "Mad Dictator" thing happening. But, joy, he just announced what we've all known and he's denied, he has nukes. That's more than Baghdad ever admitted, and we went after them.

In "North Korea II," I'll delve into NK's military potential.

GORDON | 5:40 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030425_1

April 24, 2003

Here.

We did the right thing.

GORDON | 10:18 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030424_2

Bush's Tax Cuts. Nasty Tax Cutses. Tricksey. False.

So Bush is getting all kinds of flack for wanting to cut taxes. The opposite flack his father got when he said "No new taxes" and then made new taxes. Opponents say that tax cuts will hurt the country and economy, specifically one of the bigger problems of unemployment. I started writing this post with the intention of being cocky and challenging the world to tell me what was wrong with tax cuts, but in doing some research I may have answered my own question, to a degree.

I still like the tax cuts, but like most of the tax cut opponents I have a problem with the frivolity of spending. The conservatives on the hill don't seem to be fiscally conservative.

This week, President Bush will sign into law a $397.5 billion omnibus appropriations conference bill that, when combined with the defense and military construction appropriations that were agreed on last year, will increase federal discretionary spending 7.8 percent over 2002 outlays. When the bill is enacted, it will cap a two-year spending spree in which the federal budget grew by 22 percent. Astonishingly, the only time the federal budget grew larger – 24.5 percent – was between 1976-1978 when Democrats controlled both the Congress and the presidency.

[...]

Two things were truly objectionable during the entire procedure to pass the conference bill through both chambers – both of which belie the Republican dogma of fiscal discipline. First is the shear amount of pork projects that Republicans countenanced. Secondly, the decision by House leaders to waive the procedure that allows legislators three days to inspect a spending package’s content – in this case, legislators would have had to trawl through a massive 3,000 page, 30 pound document – is extremely worrisome.

[...]

Taxpayers should be furious at Congress for appropriating funds for objectionable projects. These include: $1 million for the Iowa Historical Society; $1 million for bear DNA sampling in Montana; $405,000 to the Staten Island Soccer League of New York for facilities construction; and $725,000 for the “Please Touch” museum in Philadelphia. The Baseball and Cowgirl halls of fame both received $750,000 and $90,000 respectively. Sure, these are small peanuts, but along with funding requests that perennially cost taxpayers billions (AMTRAK), they all add up nonetheless.
Citizens for a Sound Economy

Other projects included $50,000 more for research on shiitake mushrooms at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Booneville, Ark.; $45,000 for a Korean War memorial in Athens, Ala.; and $400,000 to help the Nevada Wildlife Division return displaced wildlife to their natural habitats.

Fishing interests on both coasts, the timber and energy industries, and farmers north and south also benefited. Democrats complained that obscure provisions helped a Georgia chicken producer that wants to label its products "organic" even though they don't meet required government criteria, and provided $15 million to 10 Texas diary farmers who stood to lose money because their herds were ill.
CBS News

The money surprised even the congressman who asked for it.

Rep. Terry Everett, R-Ala., figured his request stood little chance in a year Congress was trying to cut domestic spending to pay for war. Instead, Everett learned the day after the bill was approved that the project had received $2,500 more than even he requested.
SignOnSanDiego.com

In summary, I support income tax cuts on principal, but I strongly believe they need to be balanced with cuts to stupid projects. But I'll take the tax cuts for now.

Oh, and France still sucks.

GORDON | 8:46 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030424_1

April 21, 2003

Another babe I like.

Tina Fey from SNL. Head writer, actually. Heh, I said "head."

My wife thinks I'm crazy for finding her attractive, but I think she has that sexy-thinky thing going on.

Speaking of which, here's the list of famous women I'm allowed bed if I ever get the chance....without incurring the penalties of cheating while married.

   1. Salma Hayak.
   2. Laura Prepon (Hot Donna).
   3. Tina Fey.
   4. Britney Spears (Don't care at all for her music, but she's a little hottie.).
   5-6. Both Olsen twins (When they turn legal....AND, both or neither. Who wants only one Olsen Twin?).
   7-8. The Bush twins.
   9. Denise Richards.
10. Liv Tyler.

A last minute ruling on twins counting as two people (stupid rule) meant I had to drop a couple off. Like Halle Berry and Reese Witherspoon.

Here's my wife's list.

Orlando Bloom.
George Clooney.
Oded Fehr.
Ewan McGregor.
Dominic Monaghan.
Brad Pitt.
Sean William Scott.
Casper Van Dien.
Noah Wylie.
Prince William.

She's such a whore.

Oh, and the French are still assholes.

GORDON | 8:56 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030421_2

Army Sergeant Paul Smith.

I've been trying to make this post all day but stuff kept coming up.

++++

After 9/11 I made a series of posts here about American military heroes in the past. From Smedley Butler to Audey Murphy to Chesty Puller, all were absolutely inspiring in their actions in the face of death.

Here's one a little more recent.

Smith's bravery in saving his troops is a story worth repeating. He was leading two dozen engineers building a prison at Baghdad International Airport when the contingent was attacked by 100 elite Republican Guards. As his soldiers fell around him, outmanned and outgunned, Smith dodged snipers and rocket grenades to tend to the wounded. He ran to a Humvee, grabbed a grenade and blew back the charging Iraqis. Then Smith climbed atop his armored vehicle and manned the .50-caliber machine gun, emptying four boxes of ammo over 90-minutes.

Witnesses said he killed 30 to 50 Iraqis and stopped the enemy from overrunning his post. When the firing stopped and the Americans regrouped, his men found Smith shot in the head.
St. Petersburg Times

30 to 50 bad guys. I may be wrong, but I don't think 95% of the soldiers in World War II had that kind of number of confirmed kills.

Salute.

GORDON | 8:28 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030421_1

April 18, 2003

The Onion Incident.

Last night the little women and I are preparing dinner. We decided to have an omelet night, and she started cutting the omelet fixins while I peeled and grated the taters for hash browns.

Woman: (Head in the refrigerator) Where's the onion that was in here?
Me: I have no idea. I wasn't tracking onion statuses.
Woman: Well, there was an onion in here, but it isn't here now.
Me: Are you suggesting I did something with the onion that I'm trying to hide from you?
Woman: Well, did you?
Me: ........
Me: Didn't you use onion on the sub sandwiches a couple nights ago?
Woman: ........
Woman: You know, if you're going to finish something off you should let me know so I can get more.

I just let it go at that point.

GORDON | 3:26 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030418_1

April 17, 2003

Reminder.

For quite a while and often currently I've been a supporter for American military intervention in the middle east. I've done my part for the cause by cheerleading Gulf II from my little corner of the internet, and possibly even persuaded a person or two that I was right. I've ridiculed and mocked peace activists for their views, and shoved the uncovered horrors in Iraq in their faces to shame them and point out their lack of sense and logical argument. I've argued that the American military was so advanced that the ability to minimize civilian casualties was one of the traits that separated us from the enemy, who often used civilians as human shields and coerced human bombs.

I do feel that those who actively opposed the overthrow of the Iraqi regime should be ashamed of themselves. To stand by and do nothing while millions are oppressed and tortured is as bad as doing the oppression yourself.

However.

Supporting violence against your fellow man, no matter how noble the cause, has its price, too. Those who fight the battles and those who support them surely pay the ferry-man, in the only coin he takes; a little piece of your soul.

Ali Ismail Abbas. The critically ill 12-year-old lost both his arms and suffered horrific burns when his house was destroyed in the Allied bombing of Baghdad. Sixteen members of his family were killed in the raids on the Iraqi capital.

Bless the free Republic of Iraq, but never forget those who paid the price for that freedom.

GORDON | 5:08 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030417_1

April 16, 2003

Linkdumpus Giganticus.

Activities in Iraq wind down, and things to talk about become fewer and farther between. Before the Linkdump begins, I would like to say though that we need to get the utilities on pretty quickly over there. It doesn't help that power and water stations were looted, but I do feel that they're our responsibility until they become self sufficient again. Getting the power and water back on will do tons for the mood in Baghdad.

Let us begin:

The Greatest Jeneration. I'm liking that page. Funny title.

++++

The Ornery American, Orson Scott Card's page. I'm presently undecided on what I think about it.

++++

France and Belgium pay the price for backing Saddam.

BRUSSELS--"How did we get here?" asked a former French minister in a newspaper column recently. "Here" is a situation in which French Jews are being beaten up in the streets of Paris and in which President Jacques Chirac has to write to Queen Elizabeth to apologize for the desecration of British tombs in France, and in which one-third of the French have been pulling for Saddam Hussein to win.

An even better question is who brought us here. The former environment minister, Corinne Lepage, lays the blame on the government and an obeisant media for "having wanted to stigmatize American policy in excessive fashion." But it's time to name names.

Mr. Chirac brought us here, as did his foreign minister Dominique de Villepin. In Belgium the foreign, defense and prime ministers--Louis Michel, André Flahaut and Guy Verhofstadt--have brought their country to shame too. And that's just the start.
Opinion Journal

There's more. Go read it. Or not. Whatever.

++++

Go here and register your blog....after you link Damn the Man, of course. DTMan.com is currently ranked 1616....not even on the rank scale yet. I may suck, but at least I don't have horrible bandwidth charges.

++++

The majority of Americans oppose tax cuts?

With the country at war and facing budget deficits, six in 10 Americans say this is not the time for more tax cuts, an Associated Press poll finds. Still, half say their taxes are too high.
FresnoBee.com

Half say taxes are too high, but some of those people think their taxes shouldn't be lowered....implying that they aren't currently too high....

It makes my head hurt.

We should just follow the trend some surly governors are doing....cut taxes, but add a voluntary "tax me more" line on tax forms if you think you should be paying more.

++++

American companies pay paltry fines for trading with the enemy.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released heavily redacted documents briefly outlining penalties levied against 51 companies, according to the publication Corporate Crime Reporter, which said it had been making inquiries for nearly a year, and the corporate watchdog group Public Citizen, which filed a lawsuit seeking the information.

According to the two organizations:

• ChevronTexaco traded with Iraq, and paid $14,071 in fines.

• Wal-Mart, the New York Yankees, ESPN and Caterpillar traded with Cuba, and settled for $50,000, $75,000, about $40,000, and $18,000 respectively.

The Yankees had no comment on the report, but a source said the team's infraction involved negotiations with Cuban baseball players. Attempts to get comment from other companies have been unsuccessful.

• -- ExxonMobil and Wells Fargo Bank traded with Sudan and settled for $50,000 and $5,500 respectively.

• Fleet Bank traded with Iran and paid $41,000 in fines.

All of the countries are listed as sanctioned under the Trading With the Enemy Act or the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
CNN.com

This angers me. This is one of the reasons we may be going to war with Syria... it really angers me to see a light slap on the wrist for these companies. Spread the word; give them bad publicity.

++++

Revoke Michael Moore's Oscar

Here's a grass roots campaign to revoke his Oscar for he piece of fiction called "Bowling for Columbine." Arguments, emails, addresses, phone numbers, and sample letters provided.

I don't care when someone with opposite views from me says something....but when it's fiction they need to be called to the carpet for it.

++++

Still no justification for the war.

The Marines found 123 prisoners, including five women, barely alive in an underground warren of cells and torture chambers.

Being trapped underground probably kept them safe from the bombing of Baghdad by the coalition.

Severely emaciated, some had survived by eating the scabs off their sores. All the men had beards down to their waists, said onlookers.
The Straights Times

Maybe soon we'll find some evidence that doesn't make America look like horrible Imperialists.

++++

And finally, the next bit speaks for itself.

"France wants to give peaceful disarmament every possible chance."

– French President Jacques Chirac, March 4

"We are more than ever convinced that Iraq's disarmament can and must be achieved by peaceful means."

– German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, March 14

"US forces discovered 51 Roland-2 missiles, made by a partnership of French and German arms manufacturers, in two military compounds at Baghdad International Airport."

– Newsweek, April 21
The Bulletin

GORDON | 5:43 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030416_1

April 14, 2003

Well, that's one way to think.

Over at One Hand Clapping I was directed to a really amazing....ly stupid op-ed piece from a writer from the tennessean.com, the major newspaper in Nashville. You can read OHC's assessment of it, which I happen to agree with, so I won't repeat what he already said.

Just to give you an idea, the author, Tim Chavez, says, amongst other things:

The U.S. military's 2001-2003 tour of Arab capitals has drawn rave reviews from Kabul to Baghdad. America is replacing regimes in the Middle East faster than Cher changes hair colors during a concert.

To be fair, I didn't think what he had to say was that stupid, but I was in a caustic mood this weekend, and I let him have both barrels:

From: Gordon [mailto:gordon@dtman.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2003 10:12 PM
To: tchavez@tennessean.com
Subject: Bush Doctrine changes tune on the good of war

Your op-ed piece of the same title is being pretty well lambasted on the internet at the moment.

"The U.S. military's 2001-2003 tour of Arab capitals has drawn rave reviews
from Kabul to Baghdad. America is replacing regimes in the Middle East faster than Cher changes hair colors during a concert."

FYI, Kabul isn't an Arab capital. I had to stop reading at this point because I felt like the proximity of your ignorance was making me stupider.

www.dtman.com

"Ha!" I thought to myself. "Owned!"

Then I got a response this morning...the first time this has happened. Usually I'm putting the emailic smackdown on people in the national news, and I never get a response. Here's his:

From: Chavez, Tim [mailto:TCHAVEZ@nashvill.gannett.com]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 10:59 AM
To: Gordon
Subject: RE: Bush Doctrine changes tune on the good of war

Thanks for the feedback. Can you give me the internet site where I can read the other feedback?

Thanks.
Tim Chavez

Damn it! He didn't lose his cool. Gordon = owned.

From: Steve Gordon [mailto:gordon@dtman.com]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 2:37 PM
To: Chavez, Tim
Subject: RE: Bush Doctrine changes tune on the good of war

I hate it when I write an acerbic email to someone, and they act gracious.

Here's where I was directed to your article:

http://donaldsensing.com/index.html#200142517

The author is a Tennessean. His page is fairly well known, as far as blogs go.

Cheers,
Gordon
www.dtman.com

I know what you're thinking...and yes, I used the word "acerbic."

His final response:

From: Chavez, Tim [mailto:TCHAVEZ@nashvill.gannett.com]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 10:59 AM
To: Gordon
Subject: RE: Bush Doctrine changes tune on the good of war

No, thank you for correcting me. I needed it.

Tim Chavez

Nothing takes the wind out of your sails like someone who can take criticism. There's a lesson there.

GORDON | 3:20 pm CST | Feedback Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030414_1

April 12, 2003

Linkdump. I need to stop book marking things.

VEILED4ALLAH! Yes. "Veiled for Allah," but in d3wd-speak. Actually a somewhat interesting page....the author describes it as "The occasional thoughts of a Muslim woman. Islam, current events, my life, and whatever else interests me." I find it sadly intriguing to find a blog written by a Muslim person that isn't ranting and/or raving. Good read if you want to learn about how the side of Islam culture we never hear about thinks.

++++

Here's an entry from Sgt. Stryker the other day....an email from a Marine at the front. To summarize....they are in daily combat, they are getting shot at all the time, he's had to kill a bunch of bad guys, they could die at any moment, and they're having a great time. Only a Marine could have a great time while being shot at, FYI.

++++

Take One. The rumor is that this guy is blogging from Tehran. I have no evidence to confirm nor discredit his claim, but here he is.

++++

"U.S.S.Clueless." This is a commentary page that has an excellent chance of making the permanent links in the left column. Mostly because I agree with their views.

++++

Russian President Putin thinks the United States failed to meet its objectives in Iraq.

ST PETERSBURG, Russia -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the U.S.-led coalition of having failed to achieve its war aim, to disarm Iraq.

As television pictures showed the collapse of Saddam Hussein's vestiges of power, Putin was quoted by Reuters as saying: "The goal of war -- to disarm Iraq -- has not been achieved. ... We must never mix notions. No one liked the Iraqi regime apart from Saddam Hussein, but this is not the point."
CNN.com

Hey Vlad....puff, puff, give, buddy. Don't bogart the doobage.

++++

Well, that's one way to do it.

FIDEL CASTRO's government sent three men who hijacked a ferry to a firing squad, quickly executing them in a chilling message to anyone else who tries to commandeer a boat or plane to the United States.
The Australian

Aren't the people who typically protest U.S. sanctions against Cuba the same people who typically protest the death penalty? Just curious.

++++

And finally, it looks like CNN may have been aiding Saddam's regime for years, in order to keep their Baghdad Office open. Good commentary has already been written here.

CNN: Cowardly News Network
Some truly shocking admissions from CNN's "chief news executive" responsible for keeping its bureau open in Baghdad. No, not the stuff about how Saddam Hussein and his regime tortured people. The shocking thing is that CNN aided and abetted such maniacal behavior for years, by keeping its Baghdad bureau open, keeping Iraqis on its staff, and presenting to the world a far more benign view of Saddam - a view that CNN knew was not true. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. CNN did worse than nothing. It provided PR services for a mass murderer. CNN has blood on its hands.
HobbsOnline

What happens when the newscasters become the news?

That's it for today's edition of Linkdump.

GORDON | 3:17 pm CST Link to: http://www.dtman.com/archives4.htm#20030412_1

April 11, 2003

11:38 pm CST - GORDON - Linkdump, al-Jezeera style.

I finally found the English language version of al-Jazeera dot com (under maintenance at the time of this writing...probably hacked again). I read through a few of their "objective and balanced global news coverage and analysis" stories and picked out a few to discuss.

This story highlights the story of the statue that was briefly adorned with the American flag before it was toppled. The bent of the story is, basically, everything the western media says is a lie.

Despite constant discussion of "precision bombing," the US invasion has produced so many dead and wounded that Iraqi hospitals stopped trying to count.

Red Cross officials have labeled the level of casualties "incredible," describing "dozens of totally dismembered dead bodies of women and children" delivered by truck to hospitals.

In the first place, hospitals "don't stop counting." Additionally, the Red Cross described dozens of bodies? Wow, that many? And I wonder if this includes the women and children forced into car bombs at gunpoint at the risk of their families' lives...by the Iraqi regime. Nah, couldn't be. The only women and children killed in this war are those who are purposely targeted by Americans while trying to eat fried chicken and pumpkin pie in the parks that are really far away from any military targets for no other reason than our racist wish to cause an Iraqi genocide on purpose.

Cluster bombs, one of the most indiscriminate weapons in the modern arsenal, have been used by US and UK forces, with the British defense minister explaining that mothers of Iraqi children killed would one day thank Britain for their use.

I have to call SHENANIGANS on this one. Reference, please. In the context in which it was said, if it was said at all.

The presence of US troops in the streets of Baghdad means the end of the shooting war is near, for which virtually everyone in Iraq will be grateful.

It also means the end of a dozen years of harsh US-led economic sanctions that have impoverished the majority of Iraqis and killed as many as a half million children, according to UN studies, another reason for Iraqi celebration.

No mention that the U.N. sanctions were the U.N.'s idea in order to keep the war from flaming back up. No mention that more than enough money was made by the "food for oil" program that was funneled straight to Saddam and his "Palace for Every Day of the Year" program. No mention that now that the U.S. is in charge in spite of the U.N.'s resistance that the country will be better off than it has been for, well, EVER.

Perhaps they watch Afghanistan and see how quickly US policymakers abandoned the commitment to "not walk away" from the suffering of the Afghan people.

Oh, wow....we left Afghanistan? I thought we were still having some pretty big battles with the anti-Democracy folks. But al-Jazeera said we walked away, and they claim to objective and unbiased. Oh wait...they never claimed not to be stupid.

This next article claims that all evidence of weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq will have been planted there by America.

“The United States is now embarrassed because it could not confirm the presence of WMD in Iraq,” said Dr. Hassan Krayyim, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut.

“The concern lies in the possibility that the United States would present false evidence to prove that its decision to go to war was right,“ he said.

The U.N. inspectors were there for years and found nothing. American troops have been there for three weeks and every other day are finding some banned thing or another. We probably smuggled all those kids in from outside the country and planted them in that children's prison, too. And Jessica Lynch shot herself as well as broke both her legs and one arm so we could "prove" Iraq breaks Geneva Convention rules. The proof is that she wasn't able to break her own second arm with the first one already broken (I just made that up...watch for it soon in this propaganda rag)

In the meantime, US President George Bush has authorised the use of tear gas in Iraq, which could be a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention that states that “each state party undertakes not to use riot control agents as a method of warfare.”

Even if that's really a rule, and I doubt it, I say to hell with it. If the Arabs have a problem with non-lethal methods of riot control, well, they're just as crazy as everyone says they are. They need to make up their minds as to whether or not they want us killing citizens over there.

That's about all the "objective and balanced global news coverage and analysis" I can take for now. Be sure to peruse their "news" stories and see for yourself why the United States is the most evil place in the universe. Oh, and you may need to hit refresh a few times to get their hyperlinks to work, because apparently Allah smiles on crappy HTML and web servers.

No America THAT'S A BAD AMERICA.

April 10, 2003

3:44 pm EST - Leisher - The Winds of Change?

Yesterday, Gordon posted a picture of an American soldier hanging the U.S. flag on the head of a Saddam Hussein statue. In the forums, while discussing the issue, I explained that the soldier’s commanding officer ordered him take it down almost immediately. The commanding officer is obviously following orders that we present ourselves as a liberating army, not a conquering army. Gordon stated that not displaying the U.S. flag on land we spilled blood is almost a crime. I agreed, however I see the point of making sure the people of Iraq and the entire Arab world fully understand our motives. I believe if the U.S. shows itself as a world power that is not intent on global conquest, but global freedom, it will start to change minds. A flag flying over a U.S. embassy in Baghdad would mean a lot more in future Arab-U.S. relations than any flag over a liberating tank now.

The Arab world isn’t exactly a haven of free speech and ideas. Many dictators and corrupt governments have kept their power by keeping their people uneducated and misinformed. People of the Middle East are taught to hate outsiders and their lives are heavily dictated by religious beliefs.

Examples of the misinformation were recently very available to the whole world. We all saw the Iraqi Information Minister broadcasting such enormous lies that most Americans thought of him as a comedy skit and wanted to see him on Saturday Night Live. Well, it turns out that many in the Arab world believed his lies. We’ve also seen a strongly biased Al-Jazeera, the Arab world’s main source of news, broadcasting images of dead American soldiers and P.O.W.s. Al-Jazeera heavily slanted their war reporting as anti-American and downplayed our advances.

Following yesterday’s historic events in Baghdad, images that could not be “spun” or hidden, people are changing. They are starting to question their sources of information and even their governments. Some quotes:

"We discovered that all that the (Iraqi) information minister was saying was all lies," said Ali Hassan, a government employee in Cairo, Egypt.

"Now no one believes Al-Jazeera anymore," he said, referring to the Arabic-language television news channel.

However, Tannous Basil, a 47-year-old cardiologist in Sidon, Lebanon, said Saddam's regime was a "dictatorship and had to go."

"I don't like the idea of having the Americans here, but we asked for it," he said. "Why don't we see the Americans going to Finland, for example? They come here because our area is filled with dictatorships like Saddam's."

"This is a message for the Arab regimes, and could be the beginning of transformation in the Arab region," al-Absi said. "Without the honest help of the Western nations, the reforms will not take place in these countries."

"I'm 49, but I never lived a single day. Only now will I start living," Yussuf Abed Kazim, a mosque preacher, said as he whacked tile and concrete off the pedestal of the toppled statue.

"I don't like to see a foreign army in Iraq," said Abed, the mother who watched the statue come down. "But all those who tried to get rid of him were killed. We have no choice, we lived in so much fear," she said.

These quotes came from 1, 2, 3, 4 articles.

After the last scraps of Saddam’s regime are mopped up, the U.S. should concentrate on helping a new Iraqi government start up and then get the hell out of dodge. Showing that we truly were there to liberate, will send yet another blade into beliefs and misinformation about our intentions. Thus changing more minds. Hopefully, enough minds will change so that other dictators fall without our help.

A couple of quick notes:

-Screw the BBC and their slanted anti-war coverage. Not showing the liberation of the Iraqi people in favor of earthquake coverage ranks up there with the Iraqi Information Minister’s version of events. It’s a disgusting way to try and save face in light of your accusations being false.

-On a related note, where are all the anti-war people? Iraqi-Americans in Dearborn, MI had a large parade yesterday to celebrate Baghdad falling, but not one anti-war person showed up to protest the war. I wonder why…

-Don’t you want to smack this idiot?

On a final note, my prayers go out to the families of these people. I hope they return home safely.

Feedback.

April 9, 2003

8:17 pm CST - GORDON - This must have been cool.

Family cheers as 'their Marine' leads statue's destruction

From Rose Arce and Dana Garrett
CNN New York Bureau
Wednesday, April 9, 2003 Posted: 6:58 PM EDT (2258 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Cheers erupted Wednesday mo