Archives - August 2005
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August 31, 2005
More sobering photos
A collection of photos at today's USA Today illustrate the human side of Katrina's devastation...
Michelle Malkin and Political Teen are providing extensive coverage.
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August 31, 2005
Cindy Sheehan: Commander in grief
Ann Coulter
To expiate the pain of losing her firstborn son in the Iraq war, Cindy Sheehan decided to cheer herself up by engaging in Stalinist agitprop outside President Bush's Crawford ranch. It's the strangest method of grieving I've seen since Paul Wellstone's funeral. Someone needs to teach these liberals how to mourn.
Call me old-fashioned, but a grief-stricken war mother shouldn't have her own full-time PR flack. After your third profile on "Entertainment Tonight," you're no longer a grieving mom; you're a C-list celebrity trolling for a book deal or a reality show.
We're sorry about Ms. Sheehan's son, but the entire nation was attacked on 9/11. This isn't about her personal loss. America has been under relentless attack from Islamic terrorists for 20 years, culminating in a devastating attack on U.S. soil on 9/11. It's not going to stop unless we fight back, annihilate Muslim fanatics, destroy their bases, eliminate their sponsors and end all their hope. A lot more mothers will be grieving if our military policy is: No one gets hurt!
Fortunately, the Constitution vests authority to make foreign policy with the president of the United States, not with this week's sad story... [ continue reading]
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August 30, 2005
'This Is Our Tsunami'
FOX NEWS - Tuesday, August 30, 2005
GULFPORT, Miss. — Death and destruction ravaged the severely storm-battered Gulf Coast Tuesday, with as many as 80 dead in one Mississippi county alone as the frantic search for survivors of Hurricane Katrina continued...
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said there were unconfirmed reports of up to 80 deaths in Harrison County, which includes Gulfport and Biloxi, and the number was likely to rise. At least five other deaths across the Gulf Coast were blamed on Katrina...
The death toll does not include 11 deaths in South Florida when a much-weaker Katrina first hit land last week.
"This is our tsunami," Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway told the Biloxi Sun Herald...
President Bush is cutting his vacation in Crawford, Texas, short and returning to Washington on Wednesday instead of Friday to monitor the recovery effort...
Read more l Track Katrina l How to help
AP Photo
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August 29, 2005
Katrina Update from Miami
Reuters Photo: A resident of Homestead, a Miami suburb, after Hurricane Katrina
Thank goodness Katrina hadn't reached it's current level when it hit Miami! Larry reports that everyone is okay, that damage to his home in Pinecrest was "relatively minor" and that he has things pretty well cleaned up. However, he still has no electric power at home so he's emailing me from work.
And thankfully, Katrina bypassed Pat in Palm Harbor and Mike & Athalie in the Tampa Bay area.
The folks in Louisiana (especially New Orleans), Mississippi and the Florida panhandle may not fare as well. Keep them in your prayers.
Michelle Malkin is following Katrina's progress on her site...
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August 26, 2005
Too Mad to Cuss
A story from the AP at Yahoo News:
Woman Gets Cable Bill With Derogatory Name
Wed Aug 17, 8:30 PM ET
CHICAGO - LaChania Govan said she got bounced around by her cable company when she called to complain. She made dozens of calls and was even transferred to a person who spoke Spanish — a language she doesn't understand.
But when she got her August bill from Comcast she had no trouble understanding she'd made somebody mad. It was addressed to "Bitch Dog."
"I was like you got to be freaking kidding me," said Govan, 25. "I was so mad I couldn't even cuss."
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And in related news, ABC reports:
Credit Card Letter Addressed 'Dear Palestinian Bomber'
Company Apologizes for Solicitation Letter Sent to California Grocery Store Manager
By CLAYTON SANDELLWASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2005 — Officials at JP Morgan Chase have apologized and promised to improve their screening policies, after a credit card solicitation letter sent to a 54-year-old naturalized American citizen came addressed to "Palestinian Bomber."
The form letter for a Visa Platinum card arrived earlier this month at the home of Sami Habbas, a grocery store manager from Corona, Calif. The words "Palestinian Bomber" appear above his address and the salutation reads, "Dear Palestinian Bomber." The document included the signature of Carter Franke, chief marketing officer for Chase Card Services.
Isn't technology wonderful? But its handlers, well...
World's Ugliest Dog
Sam is a 14-year-old pedigreed Chinese Crested owned by Susie Lockheed of Santa Barbara, California. In June 2005, Sam won the "World's Ugliest Dog" title at the Sonoma-Marin Fair contest for the third consecutive year.
The tiny dog has no hair, if you don't count the yellowish-white tuft erupting from his head. His wrinkled brown skin is covered with splotches, a line of warts marches down his snout, his blind eyes are an alien, milky white, and a fleshy flap of skin hangs from his withered neck. And then there are the Austin Powers teeth that jut at odd angles.
He's so ugly that even the judges recoiled when he was placed on the judging table . . .
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August 24, 2005
Start Me Up
For those who remember when the Windows 9x horror show began, you may find this amusing:
ColdGrits writes:
"It's hard to believe it, but 10 short years ago [yesterday] saw the launch of Windows '95. Here is an archive of the Washington Post's story on the day. As part of the launch, Microsoft paid $12,000,000 for the rights to use the Rolling Stones' song "Start Me Up" (containing the prophetic line 'You make a grown man cry')."
Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it...?
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August 24, 2005
Baez performs at war protest
CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - Iraq war protesters camping out near President George W. Bush's ranch got some support Sunday night from a prominent figure in the anti-Vietnam war movement: folk singer Joan Baez.
"In the first march I went to (opposing Vietnam) there were 10 of us. This is huge," Baez told relatives of fallen U.S. soldiers Sunday before performing a free concert just up the road from the ranch.
About 500 people gathered to hear her on a half-hectare lot offered by a landowner who opposes the war. Not far away, protesters continued a camp-out started by grieving mother Cindy Sheehan.
Baez said a movement like this was waiting to happen... [cnews]
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Geez, now it really is like Viet Nam…
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August 23, 2005
Gum Blondes
Here's an art form I'd not seen before...
Jason Kronenwald lives in Toronto and makes portraits called Gum Blondes out of chewed bubblegum.
This well done site requires a Flash player.
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August 23, 2005
A Home-grown Personal Ad
From WFTV's News of the Strange:
Man Plants Personals Ad Made Out Of Corn Stalks
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- It sounds a little corny. A farmer looking for love has planted a personals ad, using corn stalks in a cow pasture. It reads: "S.W.F Got-2 (love symbol) Farm'n."
Underneath is a 1,000-foot-long arrow pointing single white females to his house.
"It only took me about an hour -- I did it with a corn planter in May," Pieter DeHond said Wednesday as he removed weeds from the 18-acre field. "I was just horsing around."
In place of a newspaper ad, DeHond said he decided on an impulse to use up the extra corn seed left after spring planting at his 200-acre Pleasure Acres farm in western New York.
"I wouldn't place a personal ad in the paper. To me it seems desperate," he added, laughing. "This is more of a fun thing. I put this out in a field where nobody could see it unless you flew over it."
The 41-year-old divorced father said running a business and looking after his two teenagers doesn't leave a lot of room for socializing.
His corn stalk appeal, featured this week in his hometown Daily Messenger newspaper, has already drawn quite a few phone calls and e-mails. "I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't a little proud," DeHond said.
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August 22, 2005
Gas To Hit $5 Gallon In 2006
If you think all this flirting with $3-a-gallon gas is already a pain in the pocketbook, brace yourself. Oil expert Craig Smith predicts gas prices will skyrocket next year, jumping to five bucks a gallon.
Smith, a self-proclaimed geopolitical know-it-all hawking his new book Black Gold Stranglehold, says Americans — tree-hugging politicians and car-addicted commuters alike — should blame themselves for the coming spike in prices.
“Why are they charging higher prices for gas? Because people will pay it. Apparently, we’re not changing our driving habits much,” he said. “Blame this on ourselves. This country has not built a new refinery in 30 years, we stopped new oil exploration . . . and put a moratorium on offshore drilling.”
Smith — who last year predicted $3-a-gallon gas and $65-a-barrel crude oil prices this year — says oil prices will jump to $80 a gallon by the end of 2006.
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August 20, 2005
Mr. Housing Bubble...
Read the news story here. Visit the T-shirtHumor.com site here.
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August 19, 2005
The Difference...
...between us and them:
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In Iraq yesterday a roadside bomb killed 14 Marines. Two days earlier, six Marines from the same outfit were ambushed and killed. Yet those Marines were not the terrorists’ primary target.You were.
Our enemies know the Marines won’t quit. But they hope you will.
The terrorists realize now that they can’t defeat our military. Instead, they hope to achieve what the North Vietnamese did: To blur the reality on the ground and convince the American public that we’re losing.
Those Marines were tactical targets of opportunity. You’re the strategic target. The terrorists hope that our media will create an atmosphere of failure—and that you’ll give in to a sense of defeat.
The Marines are looking for a few good men (and women). The terrorists are looking for headlines..._______________________________________________________________________________________________
You should read it all.
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August 18, 2005
Marine Mom...
From the AP (via CNN) we get this story about a very different kind of Mom of a Marine killed in Iraq:
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WEST CHESTER, Ohio (AP) -- The mother of a Marine killed in Iraq urged mourners Wednesday not to let their anger and sadness turn them against the U.S. fight in Iraq.
"Honor me in this way," Kathy Dyer said during a memorial service for Lance Cpl. Christopher J. Dyer, 19, of the Cincinnati suburb of Evendale.
At the funeral at Tri-County Baptist Church, Kathy Dyer delivered what she believed would have been her son's own message: "It has been with the greatest pride I have served ... fighting to preserve freedom."
She said he would want mourners to continue supporting the troops in the war against terrorism.
Dyer and eight other Marines from Columbus-based Lima Company were among 14 killed August 3 in the deadliest roadside bombing of U.S. troops in Iraq. The company is part of the Cleveland-based 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, which has been hit hard by attacks that have killed 16 members in recent weeks.______________________________________________________________________________________________
Refreshingly different from the reaction of Cindy Sheehan, and it would be nice if the AP (via CNN) would continue with this story. But in the next paragraph:
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Later Wednesday, vigils were planned across the country in support of Cindy Sheehan, a slain soldier's mother who has been camping outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. She has promised to stay for his monthlong ranch visit unless he meets with her and other grieving families.______________________________________________________________________________________________
Why did the AP (via CNN) need to include that paragraph? Why interject the similar (but unrelated) Sheehan reference? And some say there is no bias in the MSM. Yeah, right.
Continuing with the story:
______________________________________________________________________________________________
At Dyer's funeral about 1,000 mourners were told about the kindness and drive of the college-bound honor student who had a lifelong interest in the military. Relatives said he chose the Marines as a way to serve his country and challenge himself."He saw this as just another way to measure himself, another test," said his father, John Dyer. "Chris didn't want to be less than the best at anything."
Janet Hertlein, whose son Michael grew up with Dyer, said Dyer loved the Marines.
"Chris and all those over there are fighting for all of us," Hertlein said.______________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you Lance Cpl. Dyer.
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August 17, 2005
More Wild Worms...
Not good:
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SEATTLE (Reuters) - Several new computer worms were being blamed for causing computer system outages at some media outlets and companies in the United States on Tuesday.The worms, including two called "IRCBOT.WORM" and "RBOT.CBQ," exploit a recently discovered flaw in Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) Windows 2000 operating system and were causing personal computers at more than 100 U.S. companies to restart repeatedly and potentially exposed them to attackers who could take control of a system.
"This is the most significant threat we've seen in at least 12 months," said Vincent Gullotto, vice president of the anti-virus emergency response team at McAfee Inc.
But Symantec Corp. and McAfee, the top two computer security companies, as well as Microsoft, said that damage to computer systems on Tuesday was limited and was not likely to cause widespread havoc like other malicious software programs such as SQL Slammer and MyDoom.
CNN, breaking into regular programming, reported on air that personal computers at the cable news network were affected by a worm that caused them to restart repeatedly.
The New York Times and ABC News also reported system outages earlier on Tuesday, causing some to suspect that another recent worm called "Zotob" was behind Tuesday's outages.
Gullotto said, however, that the newly discovered worms were different from Zotob, even though they all, including Zotob, appeared to exploit the same vulnerability in the "Plug-and-Play" feature in Windows 2000, which runs on less than half of the world's personal computers...______________________________________________________________________________________________
Fortunately, I'm relatively worm-proof. I have a Mac.
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August 16, 2005
Solar, Stirling, SoCal Edison
This 500 MW solar generation project will be very interesting if/when it happens.
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A Stirling engine is commonly referred to as an "external combustion engine" in contrast to the "internal combustion engines" found in most vehicles. Combine a Stirling engine with solar as the source of heat, and you have a highly efficient means of converting solar power into usable energy.
That is what Stirling Energy Systems has been perfecting for the past 20 years.
Now they are ready to go big-time, with an agreement signed Tuesday with Edison International (NYSE:EIX) a subsidiary of Southern California Edison (SCE), the nation's leading purchaser of renewable energy.
On Tuesday they announced an agreement that could result in construction of a massive, 4,500-acre solar generating station in Southern California. This comes to around seven square miles, with a perimeter of nearly 30 miles. The completed power station would be the world's largest solar facility, capable of producing more electricity than all other currently-operating U.S. solar projects combined.
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The wave of the future? Read the entire article. Pretty amazing!
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August 15, 2005
What's really going on in Iraq..?
You've probably been wondering: What's the real story in Iraq? This, and Kit Seelye's linked report, are worth reading. Also check my related August 7 post...
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August 14, 2005
V-J Day... 60 years ago.
Today commemorates V-J Day, an important day in our history. You've probably seen this photo. Read about it and V-J Day here.
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August 13, 2005
Night shift in Iraq (via Cranium)
This excellent video clip is probably not for young children:
This is remarkable film footage. It's a night vision movie from Iraq showing actual live action against Iraqi insurgents. The pictures were taken from an AC130 Specter gunship (plane) 2.5 miles away.The terrorists in the video were setting up a roadside bomb and planning to ambush an American convoy which followed a short while after the video was taken. They were setting up for the ambush and pacing off the distance from the bomb to where the convoy was to pass by. Turn your sound up.
The level of effort these crews put forth to control the enemy's activities is commendable, and their marksmanship with those electronically controlled 40mm cannons is astounding.
I don't know the source for this clip or who wrote the description. Click the image to see the clip (WMV format; ~2.5MB; 3:33 minutes running time).
And here's info on the AC-130.
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August 12, 2005
Its not just boxes!
Check out Jose Avila's site about his novel furniture at FedExFurniture.com.
From Wired News:
Most of us have been there. You can just barely afford to pay the rent. But forget about buying furniture -- not if you want to eat, anyway.Jose Avila recently found himself in just that predicament. Although he has a good job as a software developer, he's locked into two rents after moving to Arizona, and has no extra cash for an Ikea shopping spree. But instead of scouting street corners for a ratty, unwanted couch, Avila got creative and built an apartment full of surprisingly sturdy furniture -- out of FedEx shipping boxes.
Fanciful as his creations may seem, FedEx is not amused. The shipping giant's lawyers have sent Avila letters demanding he take down the site he created to document his project, invoking, among other things, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA.
The yahoos at FedEx ought to be ashamed of themselves. Before this bit of idiocy, they seemed like a pretty well-run outfit. My daughter worked there for years before being promoted to full time mom. Now they just seem like another gang of corporate-bozos-with-lawyers.
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August 11, 2005
What's in a Name?
“What’s in a name?” Shakespere asked.
Make that “Shakespeare.” Miami artist Maria Alquilar, much maligned for 11 misspellings that popped up in the educational mural she designed for the Livermore public library last year, spent Tuesday under the hot sun correcting her mistakes.
In addition to fixing the bard’s name, she changed “Eistein” to “Einstein,” “Gaugan” to “Gauguin” and more.
Apparently, Alquilar wanted to return quietly to do the edits, for which city officials are paying her $6,000 plus travel expenses. That’s on top of the $40,000 she received for creating the 16-foot circular mosaic, made up of 175 historical names and cultural words.
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August 11, 2005
I have rights...
Something to think about. When I'm a minority, do I get more benefits? What? Fair is fair...
Folks in the minority in CA, TX, NM, and HI should have excellent opportunities to get scholarships, healthcare and other benefits. Demand your rights as a minority.
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August 10, 2005
Michelle Malkin on The O’Reilly Factor: Cindy Sheehan (VIDEO)
Syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin appeared on The O’Reilly Factor last evening to discuss Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier that is demanding to speak to the President and, at the same time, for him to be impeached.
Ms. Sheehan certainly deserves a voice. However, she is apparently being used by anti-war groups and moonbats, and appears to be venting her pain by becoming a martyr for the Times and other radical anti-war media.
It's very sad. I feel badly for her. But she's making a lot of completely false statements and the media, including the Times, isn't calling her on it. Par for the course, I suppose, but it's frustrating none the less.
Watch or download the video here. (4.5 MB)
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August 10, 2005
For Chris' Sister...
NOW DO IT!!
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August 10, 2005
Wi-Fi widgetry
Check out this eBay auction that ended last month. Amusing.
Want Faster Data Transfer?
WiFi Speed Spray™ to the rescue!
This revolutionary product enhances the transfer of computer data through the air. You'll be amazed!
Do you live in a polluted environment such as Los Angeles? If so, you've probably experienced the heartbreak of data transfer slow-down.
WiFi Speed Spray™ can overcome the effects of pollution, increase fidelity, and provide you with the fastest wireless data transfer possible. Compatible with ALL 802.XXx standards!
It's a scientific fact. Radio waves become sluggish under a variety of common environmental conditions. Besides air pollution, radio waves slow down in noisy environments, at night, and in "high emission" areas such as computer rooms, offices that use fluorescent lighting, and even in the kitchen (those pesky microwave ovens are to blame!).
WiFi Speed Spray™ is designed to eliminate these harsh conditions selectively. Only the radio wave path is affected. It's 100% SAFE to use, natural, no harmful toxic substances, and no side-effects. It's so safe, you can even BREATHE it in.
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August 9, 2005
Amazing Chinese Disabled Dancers
This video of 21 members of the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe performing the Thousand-hand Bodhisattva dance might best be watched with the sound off. Since the members are all deaf, you can get a better feel for how difficult their synchronized disco really is. But the music is beautiful.
More details on the dance troupe here.
UPDATE: The original host site has removed the video. But it's been picked up by another ste...
Here's the link. You really must watch this!
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August 9, 2005
Man sets new mathematics record for ‘pi’
A 59-year-old Japanese psychiatric counselor set a world record of sorts Sunday by reciting “pi,” or the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, to 83,431 digits.
“I thank you all for your support,” Akira Haraguchi told reporters and onlookers when he finished the overnight 13-hour feat at a public hall in Kisarazu in Tokyo’s southern suburbs at 1:26 am. The ratio is about 3.14159.
According to the authoritative Guinness Book of World Records, the previous record for reciting pi from memory — 42,195 digits — was set by a then Japanese university student in 1995. Haraguchi had already recited the ratio up to about 54,000 digits last September but was forced to end the attempt when his time ran out at the facility hosting the event.
We all remember pi -- 3.1416, right? When did it become a contest?
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August 8, 2005
Blair Proposes Strict Anti-Terror Measures
Foreigners who preach hatred, sponsor violence or belong to extremist groups could be deported from Britain under strict new measures that Prime Minister Tony Blair proposed Friday, nearly a month after suicide bombers killed 52 people on London’s transit system.
Since last month's attacks, France has expelled two extremist Muslim prayer leaders and plans to ship home eight others. Italian authorities deported eight Palestinian imams.
I think it's time we did the same. Read more>>
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August 8, 2005
Why Do Men Have Nipples?
Have you ever wondered why your teeth chatter when you’re cold, or if you could really catch a disease from sitting on a toilet seat?
New York physician Billy Goldberg, pestered by unusual questions at cocktail parties and other social gatherings over the years, puts the public’s mind at ease in his book “Why Do Men Have Nipples?” which hit book stores last week.
“It’s really remarkable how often you get accosted,” said Goldberg, 39. “There are the medical questions from family and friends, and then there are the drunk and outrageous questions where somebody wants to drop their pants and show you a rash or something.”
The book, subtitled, “Hundreds of Questions You’d Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini,” (Three Rivers Press), is co-authored by humorist Mark Leyner.
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August 7, 2005
Island of Peace...
There are places like this all over Iraq. Why don't we hear more about them?
BAGHDAD, Iraq - In the soft glow of twilight, vendors fire up their kebab grills, crowds gather along shopping streets festooned with decorative red-and-white lights and cafes bustle with the sounds of laughter and conversation.
It wasn't always this way in Azamiyah, a middle-class Sunni Arab quarter in Baghdad's north.
Saddam Hussein hid out among his fellow Sunni Arabs of Azamiyah as American troops closed in on Baghdad in April 2003. Marines nearly caught him in a fierce battle the day after crowds hauled down his statue in another part of town.
Life in Azamiyah, home to about a half-million people in a 15-square-mile area, began changing in February, when U.S. and Iraqi authorities sealed off the Tigris River bridge linking the Sunni district with the heavily Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah.
The move was to prevent Sunni insurgents from using the bridge to slip into the Shiite area and launch attacks during Ashoura, the major Shiite religious festival. The bridge has been closed since.
The closure not only prevented insurgents from using Azamiyah as a springboard for attacks elsewhere in the city, but it kept troublemakers out of the Sunni district, too. Although there are other routes into Azamiyah, the locals keep an eye out for strangers, stopping outsiders and asking what they are doing there.
"Nobody in Azamiyah enjoys killing his own neighbor or relative," said Khalid Ibrahim, 49, a devout Muslim. "We are now like one big family defending our home — Azamiyah."
The situation in Azamiyah, famed for its narrow alleyways and row houses with wooden verandas, is similar to that of Sadr City, the giant Shiite slum neighborhood in northeast Baghdad. U.S. forces battled the local Shiite militia for months until a peace agreement was brokered by the country's Shiite clerical hierarchy... more>>
August 5, 2005
Things That Make Me Go GRRRR!
New York Times Dumpster Divers
Examine the above photo. What do you see? Is it:
A) a trash bag, B) a potential new source of information for the New York Times, C) the most appropriate place in which to put a copy of the New York Times, or D) all of the above?
The answer, of course, is "D". As you've probably heard by now, the New York Times has assigned an investigative reporter to examine the adoption records of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' two children, Josie and Jack. The Times claims that it's part of their "standard background check" on Judge Roberts.
Malarkey. Read more>>
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August 4, 2005
STS 114
Here's the Image of the Day from NASA's Multimedia Highlights gallery for day 9 of the Space Shuttle mission.
And here's a video clip of the shuttle doing a backflip (frame rate speeded up 5:1).
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August 4, 2005
The Genius of Microsoft
Via BoingBoing:
Microsoft "Genuine Advantage" cracked in 24h:
window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all'
AV sez, "This week, Microsoft started requiring users to verify their serial number before using Windows Update. This effort to force users to either buy XP or tell them where you got the illegal copy is called 'Genuine Advantage.' It was cracked within 24 hours."
Before pressing 'Custom' or 'Express' buttons paste this text to the address bar and press enter:
javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all')
It turns off the trigger for the key check.
If only we could harness the power of these great hackers for the greater good...
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August 2, 2005
Stipple Portraits
If you've ever wondered where the Wall Street Journal gets the stippled portraits it publishes, it turns out they're drawn by a woman named Noli Novak, who does them dot by dot. Check out her site.