factcheck.com

They had something interesting to say. If you go to that site, click where it says "The facts about factcheck.com" and a story will appear about Mr. Cheney's mistake during the 5 October VP debate. If you don't feel like it, here it is:

"During the 5 October 2004, debate between United States candidates for the office of vice president, the incumbent Vice President Cheney responded to an issue by referring viewers to "factcheck.com". Mr. Cheney apparently intended to refer viewers to factcheck.org instead of factcheck.com.
The website 'factcheck.com' is operated by Name Administration Inc., a privately held company based in the Cayman Islands. Traditionally, internet addresses ending in '.com' have been intended for commercial purposes, while '.org' has been intended for use by non-profit organizations, such as the 'factcheck.org' website operated by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Name Administration Inc. is a leading domain name administrator, website developer and internet traffic syndicator. Name Administration Inc. utilizes a portfolio of generic domain names, such as antarctica.com, lipbalm.com, and others as stand alone websites which collectively form an integrated advertising network offering users relevant paid search advertisements and information. 'Factcheck.com' was registered by Name Administration long before the U.S. vice presidential debate for use in providing a directory of commercial providers of information resources relevant to the generic term 'fact check'.

When Mr. Cheney mis-spoke, viewers heeded his advice and visited factcheck.com in staggeringly large numbers. Name Administration re-directed this traffic for several reasons - to protect our servers from the potential for damage caused by Mr. Cheney's error, and as a service to our advertisers. Our advertisers intend to pay for potential customers to their websites instead of observers of political current events.

Name Administration re-directed those visitors to a website relevant to U.S. politics. Name Administration chose the website of investor, philanthropist, and political activist Mr. George Soros, because his website is well-funded, does not seek to raise funds from visitors, and had greater capacity to absorb the load of visitors, reaching over 100 visitors per second during peak times after the debate. An administrator for the Annenberg Public Policy Center has since informed us that their web server system would have been severely crippled by the load, had we directed the traffic to them. Contrary to some imaginative rumors spun by some, our action was undertaken on a voluntary and emergency basis, with no prior communication or consultation with the Soros organization. As confirmed by our legal counsel in response to media inquiries, Name Administration Inc. has not been offered, and has not sought, any inducement, compensation, or other consideration from any individual or organization for re-directed the resulting web traffic.

Traffic to factcheck.com has begun to return to normal levels, and Name Administration Inc. has restored the website to its original and intended use. Name Administration Inc. wishes the citizens of the United States well in the selection of their leaders, whose actions can sometimes have unintended consequences beyond the borders of the United States.

I thought Cheney actually said "fatcheck.com," but I must have heard only what I expected to hear.
But I think that last part says it all. Now get out and vote.

The Abs Diet

There was an ad for this in Men's Health (November 2004) and I noticed that it's another diet book, but it's not by Dr. Phil or some other shmuck, it's by the editor-in-chief of Men's Health, and published by Rodale, Inc. They publish some cool fitness magazines (Bicycling, Runner's World, Mountain Bike, etc.)

I saw the price of the book, and wasn't turned off by it. $27 isn't a bad deal for a new book these days. You can find it here. I was wondering whether I should call Beth and ask if I could have it, when I thought, "It's a book. It's probably on amazon.com". It was. Turns out $27 is too much. I might still ask for it anyway. Since when has a diet book hurt anyone?

Beef Make Smart

Right On, Red - Men's Health

"You already knew beef builds muscle. But did you know that it makes you smarter?"

Flu shots! Get your flu shots! (Oh, not you)

No Flu Vaccine Shortage At Capitol (washingtonpost.com)

Now who exactly did Bush say shouldn't get a flu shot?

"But people of all ages who are credentialed to work in the Capitol can get a shot by saying they meet the guidelines, with no further questions asked, said the spokesman, who cited office policy in demanding anonymity."

Fresh Coffee

I got this one.

I thought I'd get one more personal, but the one Scott got was too expensive at the time. This one's great for entertaining, and it's easy to measure a cup or two for the morning. It also seems pretty easy to clean.

I am convinced now that the US is handling most of the work in Iraq. According to the BBC, the Brits have about 7,500 troops in Iraq, mostly near Basra. There are 130,000 US military personnel there. Read this. Tony Blair has admitted that they were wrong about WMD in Iraq but is not sorry for going, but now is reluctant to send more support. Hmmm... Were we wrong, too, Mr. President?

But there's good news: Sinclair won't air the entire film about Kerry's service 32 years ago. The public caused enough grief to encourage Sinclair not to air something like that (the process is called Democracy). It's great to live in a country where the people have enough power to change the minds of the powerful.

So Kerry was right.

Deficiencies in U.S. Screening of Cargo Are Acknowledged (washingtonpost.com)

I can't call Tom Ridge an idiot, but he doesn't seem to be doing much. One would figure depleted uranium getting across our borders would make a lot of noise. Even depleted uranium is harmful - we were told that in the Army when we worked with and around the M1A1 Abrhams tanks. But that's not the point. With all our "attention" to security, this seems to be a huge hole in it.

The 9/11 report talks about what the U.S. didn't see before the attacks (what they missed), what they did see before the attacks (what they ignored), and what they tried to do but were too late. Our noses should be a bit more sensitive now; if Bush's administration is sworn to protect us, they better get to it before they miss something else.

Or I'll just wait on Kerry to take over and lay everything out. I'm counting on him to actually read the reports and do stuff.

Anyway, I'm having trouble deciding on a coffee pot. That's the most urgent issue right now. Should I get the one that makes a cup in an instant, or one that makes enough coffee to fill a thermos? I'd like some comments on that. That's what blogs are for:

From Matisse's Glossary of Internet Terms:

Blog -- (weB LOG)
A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in chronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominently.

Come on, people, get with it.

The Debate (#3) 2004

A poll at CNN declared Kerry the winner.

The Chicago Tribune and ABC News say it was a tie.

And I guess I do, too. They both showed a sense of humor toward the end, and one time in the middle of it, Kerry compared George W. Bush to Tony Soprano:

"Being lectured by the president on fiscal responsibility is a little bit like Tony Soprano talking to me about law and order in this country."

That part was funny, not because I think it's true, but that Tony Soprano came up in a presidential debate. Bush was funny, too, but it was about himself and in reference to his wife. Kerry drew laughter when he talked about his spouse as well.

I shouldn't put this in; no one will read it, but it's a good filler. The last question of the last debate, and the softest one. Bob Schieffer did well in choosing this question to close the last of three tough debates. Here is that part of the transcript, taken from MSNBC.com (whose poll also showed Kerry the winner):

SCHIEFFER: We‘ve come, gentlemen, to our last question. And it occurred to me as I came to this debate tonight that the three of us share something. All three of us are surrounded by very strong women. We‘re all married to strong women. Each of us have two daughters that make us very proud.

I‘d like to ask each of you, what is the most important thing you‘ve learned from these strong women?

BUSH: To listen to them.

(LAUGHTER)

To stand up straight and not scowl.

(LAUGHTER)

I love the strong women around me. I can‘t tell you how much I love my wife and our daughters.

I am—you know it‘s really interesting. I tell the people on the campaign trail, when I asked Laura to marry me, she said, “Fine, just so long as I never have to give a speech.” I said, “OK, you‘ve got a deal.” Fortunately, she didn‘t hold me to that deal. And she‘s out campaigning along with our girls. And she speaks English a lot better than I do. I think people understand what she‘s saying.

But they see a compassionate, strong, great first lady in Laura Bush. I can‘t tell you how lucky I am. When I met her in the backyard at Joe and Jan O‘Neill‘s in Midland, Texas, it was the classic backyard barbecue. O‘Neill said, “Come on over. I think you‘ll find somebody who might interest you.” So I said all right. I walked over there. There was only four of us there. And not only did she interest me, I guess you would say it was love at first sight.

SCHIEFFER: Senator Kerry?

KERRY: Well, I guess the president and you and I are three examples of lucky people who married up.

(LAUGHTER)

And some would say maybe me moreso than others.

(LAUGHTER)

But I can take it.

(LAUGHTER)

Can I say, if I could just say a word about a woman that you didn‘t ask about, but my mom passed away a couple years ago, just before I was deciding to run. And she was in the hospital, and I went in to talk to her and tell her what I was thinking of doing.

And she looked at me from her hospital bed and she just looked at me and she said, “Remember: integrity, integrity, integrity.” Those are the three words that she left me with.

And my daughters and my wife are people who just are filled with that sense of what‘s right, what‘s wrong.

They also kick me around. They keep me honest. They don‘t let me get away with anything. I can sometimes take myself too seriously. They surely don‘t let me do that.

And I‘m blessed, as I think the president is blessed, as I said last time. I‘ve watched him with the first lady, who I admire a great deal, and his daughters. He‘s a great father. And I think we‘re both very lucky.

I'd also like to point out to my conservative friend, John M., that Bush isn't publicly disgusted with homosexuality. He admits that he doesn't know what makes a person gay, but that we shouldn't try to leave homosexuals out of anything. Both candidates believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. Kerry says we leave the issue of gay marriage up to the states, since that's where the decisions have been made for the last 200-plus years. Bush still wants to amend the constitution, and take that power away from the states. I'm sure he has his reasons, but I personally agree with Kerry on that one.

On abortion, Kerry gave another good answer as to his position of "choice," and Bush didn't speak absolutely against abortion, he skirted it with mentionings of his ban on partial-birth abortion and what we need to do to reduce the number of abortions. They were both good answers. Neither of them mentioned getting religion in the way of that decision.

So I say it was a tie.

Holy Crap.

CompuWiz Computers Repairs & Robotics

I was looking in Sprint's phone book for the Tallahassee area for a local computer shop. I found this. Among the features in the phone book ad were:

• Customer service is #1


• Quality Computers


• Web Page Design


• Repairs and Upgrades


• Virus Doctors


• Network Setup and Security


• Robotics and Automation


• Internet Provider


• LAP TOPS


• Leasing and Renting


• Emergency Repairs


• Data Transferring


• Insurance Claims

From such an ad in the telephone book, one would expect to find a plethora of products and information at the website. Nothing such. On the front page, this guy Angelo actually tells people not to do business with him if they don't like his beliefs, and then murders a spanish phrase.

Also, the telephone book ad says "View our inventory on the internet and receive extra discounts." The online inventory consists of three overpriced, outdated, used notebook computers and three used desktop systems, and again, way above market value.

This guy must have a day job. I really can't understand how they're still open. The "About CompuWiz" page doesn't even exist, so the public cannot even get an address. Oh, and the address isn't in the phone book, either. I called, and they're still open. Miraculous.

I was thinking...

I was actually looking at the Bush website, and I decided that they appeal to a less-educated part of society. They tend to have a lot of media that one does not have to trouble themselves with "reading;" it is all in audio/video format. The entire front page is full of videos and cartoons and such. Again, not very presidential.

Kerry's website isn't hard-core reading either, but they seem more civil at JohnKerry.com than they do at the 'Dubya' website. On the front page is a very recent picture of the candidate as he travels the country, and a statement about what he and John Edwards plan to do. It's a simple site, one link to videos, and a few recent publishings related to the campaign and debates.

Bush's website, though, doesn't have even a hint of a "mission statement." Nothing. Take a look for yourself. Dubya's website looks more like MSN than a plea for your vote. It's all propaganda and flash. Rubbish. Where's the sensible logic I wish for in a leader? There's even a link at the top to "'W' Stuff." The President of the United States. As in: a follower (supposedly) in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan? I can't summon the respect for George W. Bush that these men commanded. I can't see "President" in G.W., the Texas Tiger.

But maybe he did all he could. Maybe he did tell the truth as he knew it. Maybe he did mean well, but just listened to the wrong people. If so, I'm sorry about what I just said. But it's my blog, and my freedom.

Okay, this is unfair.

Family's TV Clout in Bush's Corner (washingtonpost.com)

I heard about this in the BBC news yesterday, and read this one today. If I don't agree with this, then I can't agree with the airing of "Fahrenheit 911" on national television before the election, either. But Michael Moore's case is a bit different: he doesn't own a blanket of television networks. But, I have to agree with whoever said the media should stay out of political decisions.

I will have surgery on my shoulder in November, the Friday before Thanksgiving week. That should give me just enough time to recover before the baby comes. The appointment yesterday was uneventful, though I did read Entertainment Weekly from August and read just enough of it to remember that I don't care about celebrities' lives, and to find out that the August edition has an adverstisement for a show that aired on August 1. Geniuses.

So don't make any decisions based on what you see on television. Go to JohnKerry.com and GeorgeWBush.com so you can read what they actually have to say for themselves, and about each other. Their plans are laid out on the websites for you to read and base your decisions on.

Desertion

American Deserters Find a Mixed Reception in Canada (washingtonpost.com)

I was wondering about this. I've thought long and hard about what I would do, and this guy did it. Of course, he was already in the army, and I probably wouldn't have left while I was on active status, but I would have trouble going now. Read all of it, and see what you think.

Today would have been a good day to go to the planetarium or something. Today is Columbus day (seemingly everywhere in the US except Florida). I have to work today, but everyone else at home gets to have it off. It, a Monday morning, would have been a great opportunity to sleep.

Looking forward to my orthopedist appointment later today. I'm sure I'll have a good story for you tomorrow.

Oh, the debate Friday night:

Bush did quite well in comparison to the last scrap with Kerry. He broke the rules, though, and that took a bit of credibility away. I just don't think Bush is very presidential in his demeanor. They both got some points across, but I still feel that Kerry has the more logical approach to all the issues, and I support that. I don't know why, but I feel that Kerry's administration will listen to the public and help, not scare you into building a bomb shelter while he spends all your money.

Make sure you vote this year.

Another Article

White House Briefing

Dan Froomkin gives us something to look for tonight, and many other things to think about, like Bush's audience typically never asking tough questions.  I assume this is based on fact, so I guess that everything here would be categorized as liberal.
 
Please watch tonight's debate, America.  I'll sit right there with you.

The Iraq Report

Blair Under Fire Over Iraq Report
Iraq War Debate Fuelled by Report

I read two articles today on the report from the Iraq Survey Group, released yesterday. The report points out that no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) were found in Iraq, and "There were no chemical precursors, there were no biological agents, there were no plants to make them, there were no delivery vehicles to fire them. There was no programme, no capability, no weapons," said Robin Cook, former foreign secretary of the UK. "We could have found all that out if we had let Hans Blix finish the job which he wanted to do without fighting a war in which 10,000 people were killed."

I agree with these statements, especially if the report is accurate. We had no reason to go to war except the reasons the Bush administration gave. But even Rumsfeld fell on his ass a couple of days ago when he came out of the closet with his "no hard evidence" thing.

Weren't we worried about North Korea's nuclear program before someone conjured up the radical idea of storming Iraq again? Did we not know of Lybia's capabilities?

One of the articles quoted Hans Blix as saying the "sanctions had successfully 'contained' Saddam. "They did destroy all the biological and chemical weapons and the nuclear weapons sector was also cleared up," he went on, "Had we had a few months more we would have been able to tell the CIA and others that there were no weapons of mass destruction."

The other article stated some facts about the Iraq Survey Group:

• Set up in May 2003


• First leader, David Kay, quit in Jan 2004 stating WMD would not be found in Iraq


• New head, Charles Duelfer appointed by CIA


• 1,200 experts from the US, Britain, and Australia


• HQ in Washington, offices in Baghdad and Qatar

It also pointed out "Key findings in the report." (this could be biased, but it's all I had):

• "The ISG has not found evidence that Saddam possessed WMD stocks in 2003, but [there is] the possibility that some weapons existed in Iraq, although not of a militarily significant capability."


• "There is an extensive, yet fragmentary and circumstantial body of evidence suggesting that Saddam pursued a strategy to maintain a capability to return to WMD after sanctions were lifted..."


• "The problem of discerning WMD in Iraq is highlighted by the pre-war misapprehensions of weapons which were not there. Distant technical analysts mistakenly identified evidence and drew incorrect conclusions."

How's that?

I also want to talk about this other conservative business about suddenly changing the definition of "weapons of mass destruction." They (the conservative side in general) say now that Saddam Hussein himself was a weapon of mass destruction. Come on, people! I guess if you can't admit that you're wrong, you just make up something that makes you halfway correct, but only to those on your side. Sure, Saddam killed a bunch of people, but I never heard a Boeing 767 be referred to as a WMD. Nor have I heard the term in the same sentence with "fly swatter," either (and believe me, it does a lot of killing in south Georgia).

I guess we can talk now on what a weapon is. Take into account that the weapon in "Lethal Weapon" and succeeding films was "Riggs," a man. But remember, my conservative friends, that was a movie. I've never heard of a person being a weapon. A weapon in my dictionary is usually a nonliving object that can cause damage when used in a manner intended to do so. I will include in my list an exception to the nonliving clause in the category of biological weapons. Dead bodies were used in history as a force against a people who locked themselves in a compound. I consider that use of the living organisms on the bodies to be harmful to living humans, so that is settled. I know this is potentially boring, but you're the one reading it, and you are free to stop. You are also free to post comments on this peice. Anyway, I was once told that the heel of my boot was a "deadly weapon," as the pseudo-expert said. I guess it could be a weapon of mass destruction, because it is certainly capable of causing it. Then again, so could a broken bottle in skillful hands.

Why doesn't the Bush administration just admit they were wrong? George could sneak in a quiet "I'm sorry," or lengthy explanation, or "I quit" while he's pausing to let his brain catch up tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, I'll rest now and sleep until then.

USA PATRIOT Act (H.R. 3162)

USA PATRIOT Act (H.R. 3162)

I have found it, in case any of you would like to read it. I will be posting my comments after I read it. There is also a .pdf version.

UPDATE: If it's not there, it's at my site.

A copy of NCLB is there, too.

Vice Presidential Debate

I have no problem in saying that Cheney won. He was clearly full of facts.

But that doesn't mean he held back a few things. I heard plenty of partial stories and things left out of Cheney's remarks, so what he said leaned toward the Bush administration being justified. I can't speak from facts; I'm new at all of this, but I can say here what I want, and I still support Kerry/Edwards.

I realize that John Kerry might not be a great economist, but I do believe that he will run the country with logic from his brain, not thoughts from his heart. I don't think Kerry will jump to conclusions either, or take pride in his ignorance.

Shoulder to Shoulder

So I was riding in the car Sunday night with the dog. Beth was driving. Ashton was aggravating and wouldn't stay in the back seat. One of the times (the last time) I pushed him toward the back seat, my shoulder became dislocated. The pain grabbed me and made me stop everything I was doing to concentrate on what had just happened.

I decided to go to the emergency room in Camilla, which turned out to be a bad decision. I waited twenty minutes as one of two patients in the ER to be called back. My vitals were taken. Five minutes. The "doctor" came in, asked a few questions, said they'd have to X-ray. Five more minutes. Dirty X-ray room; funny smell. Stephen King story coming, I swear.

Back to the exam room. Twenty minutes passed as we listened to the doctor talk to the receptionist about his irrigation system. I stepped outside so as to be seen. The "doctor" saw me and ended his conversation. He came into the room and basically said the X-rays told nothing (nor did they three years ago), and I'd have to go see an orthopedist. But here's some Vicodin and a sling.

Monday: off to Thomasville to find a real doctor. Call around to the orthopedist and find one willing to see me. At 2:30. Beth and I went shopping and looking for baby stuff and books. We had a good time. Beth also had an appointment that morning; the baby is fine.

The orthopedist's assistant actually saw me, but it was better than Mitchell County Hospital. He performed a more thorough exam on my shoulder, said up front that the X-rays were only needed to make sure I didn't chip a bone, and ordered an MRI. I was done.

The MRI took place this morning and I slept through most of it. Monday we find out what I really did to my shoulder (the suspense is killing you, isn't it?)

Oh, yeah, watch the debate tonight; it just may be the most interesting one of the four this year. More tomorrow.

The Debate (#1) 2004

Bush didn't fail miserably, but when I heard clips on the radio and there was a clear difference in the perception of each candidate's confidence, Bush still failed.

Seven times Bush said, "It's hard work!"

It still can't be denied that we haven't completed what we said we'd do before we went. We should not be in Iraq as we are now. We should have found Bin Laden by now; someone should have cut off his money supply at least. Christ, where the hell is Osama? Doesn't he have a wireless phone company we can split up?

Anyway, Beth counted the filled pauses. Kerry was in the twenties while Bush went into the eighties for the number of times he said "uh..."

I don't agree with Bush on the war. He didn't do what he said the country would do, and we ended up destroying a country for different reasons than the president gave for going. True, the world is better off without Saddam Hussein, but that doesn't justify the president's lies, misleading information, and bad grammar. And with the current information, it certainly wasn't worth 1,052 lives of soldiers (so far) and the many other lives of civilians and reporters, and those poor bastards who blow themselves up because we're there.

So the president kept repeating that "it's hard work" being president (or something), and sending his military to war and putting sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers in harm's way was the hardest decision he has ever had to make. I call bullshit! I say we're lucky if he ties his shoes in the morning. It was harder for him to be patient about the inspections in Iraq than it was to invade the country. That's why we're screwed now with no post-war plan for Iraq. That's why we're still there.

But that's only my opinion. I am only an uneducated engineer.