Wed - December 28, 2005
Big Brother Is Alive And Well And Living In Kansas
You don't suppose some
police will arrest people ONLY to get a DNA sample, do
you?
Persons arrested in Kansas would have their DNA
taken by police, by force if necessary, under the provisions of a bill to be
filed in the Kansas legislature.
The bill is modeled after a Virginia law, In Virginia, however, if the person is not convicted of a crime, the sample is disposed of.
Brett Shirk, the Executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri opposes the plan:
"Probably one of the more disturbing things is that taking and storing DNA from people only suspected of crimes undermines the constitutional guarantee of presumptive innocence," he said. "These people haven't been convicted in a court of law, they've only been charged. Unless the police never make mistakes, you're going to be taking DNA samples from some innocent people."
In addition, Shirk stated:
"This would allow the government to take a giant step toward altering the purpose of a DNA database from a criminal investigation to general, population-level surveillance."
Read the details in the Johnson County Sun.
The bill is modeled after a Virginia law, In Virginia, however, if the person is not convicted of a crime, the sample is disposed of.
Brett Shirk, the Executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas and Western Missouri opposes the plan:
"Probably one of the more disturbing things is that taking and storing DNA from people only suspected of crimes undermines the constitutional guarantee of presumptive innocence," he said. "These people haven't been convicted in a court of law, they've only been charged. Unless the police never make mistakes, you're going to be taking DNA samples from some innocent people."
In addition, Shirk stated:
"This would allow the government to take a giant step toward altering the purpose of a DNA database from a criminal investigation to general, population-level surveillance."
Read the details in the Johnson County Sun.
Posted at 02:06 PM
Thu - December 1, 2005
Have Yourself A Tacky Little Christmas #3
Republic Road In
Springfield
Springfield has a motley assortment of cheesy,
poorly painted nativity figures, scattered all over town.
This beauty is sporting a new look this year.
LAST YEAR, WHEN JESUS WAS A BLOND, AMERICAN KID:
THIS YEAR:
This beauty is sporting a new look this year.
LAST YEAR, WHEN JESUS WAS A BLOND, AMERICAN KID:
THIS YEAR:
Posted at 02:49 PM
Don't pick your nose in public!
Tips on suspicious behavior
from the US Air Force
Well, it's finally happened. The military has come
up with a list of suspicious activities. As a result,
ALL OF US ARE
GUILTY.
Here's part of of the list:
*People recording or monitoring activities. This may include the use of cameras (either still or video), note taking, drawing diagrams, annotating on maps, or using binoculars or other vision-enhancing devices.
*People purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, detonators, timers, etc.
*People moving around from place to place without any apparent purpose and doing it, perhaps, many times.
*People who don’t seem to belong in the workplace, neighborhood, business establishment, or anywhere else.
*People who seem out of place standing by at a certain location as if waiting for something to happen.
Read more at the Air Force's "EAGLE EYES" web site.
Here's part of of the list:
*People recording or monitoring activities. This may include the use of cameras (either still or video), note taking, drawing diagrams, annotating on maps, or using binoculars or other vision-enhancing devices.
*People purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, detonators, timers, etc.
*People moving around from place to place without any apparent purpose and doing it, perhaps, many times.
*People who don’t seem to belong in the workplace, neighborhood, business establishment, or anywhere else.
*People who seem out of place standing by at a certain location as if waiting for something to happen.
Read more at the Air Force's "EAGLE EYES" web site.
Posted at 09:50 AM
Wed - November 30, 2005
Cheney Should Face War Crimes Charges
VP Advocates the use of
terror, a violation of US law.
The BBC is reporting that
" a top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell has launched a stinging attack on US Vice-President Dick Cheney over abuse of prisoners by US troops.
Col Lawrence Wilkerson accused Mr Cheney of ignoring a decision by President Bush on the treatment of prisoners in the war on terror.
Asked by the BBC's Today if Mr Cheney could be accused of war crimes, he said: 'It's an interesting question.'
'Certainly it is a domestic crime to advocate terror,' he added.
'And I would suspect, for whatever it's worth, it's an international crime as well.'
This is an extraordinary attack by a man who until earlier in the year was Mr Cheney's colleague in the senior reaches of the Bush team."
Read the entire interview on the BBC's web site.
" a top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell has launched a stinging attack on US Vice-President Dick Cheney over abuse of prisoners by US troops.
Col Lawrence Wilkerson accused Mr Cheney of ignoring a decision by President Bush on the treatment of prisoners in the war on terror.
Asked by the BBC's Today if Mr Cheney could be accused of war crimes, he said: 'It's an interesting question.'
'Certainly it is a domestic crime to advocate terror,' he added.
'And I would suspect, for whatever it's worth, it's an international crime as well.'
This is an extraordinary attack by a man who until earlier in the year was Mr Cheney's colleague in the senior reaches of the Bush team."
Read the entire interview on the BBC's web site.
Posted at 06:31 AM
Tue - November 29, 2005
Wed - November 9, 2005
Vice President Cheney wants the CIA to have "torture privileges"
Why are we not
surprised?
He's lobbying Republican senators for an exemption to proposed anti-torture legislation .
I know, I know, it's rude.
More at Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo blog. The Princess obviously has too much time on her hooves.
Posted at 10:45 AM
Thu - November 3, 2005
CIA sets up "Black Sites" in Europe
The US is hiding and
interrogating prisoners in secret locations.
The Associated Press
reports:
"The existence and locations of the facilities — referred to as "black sites" in classified White House, CIA, Justice Department and congressional documents — are known to only a handful of officials in the United States and, usually, only to the president and a few top intelligence officers in each host country, it said.
The CIA and the White House, citing national security concerns and the value of the program, have dissuaded Congress from demanding that the agency answer questions in open testimony about the conditions under which captives are held. Virtually nothing is known about who is kept in the facilities, what interrogation methods are employed with them, or how decisions are made about whether they should be detained or for how long."
"The existence and locations of the facilities — referred to as "black sites" in classified White House, CIA, Justice Department and congressional documents — are known to only a handful of officials in the United States and, usually, only to the president and a few top intelligence officers in each host country, it said.
The CIA and the White House, citing national security concerns and the value of the program, have dissuaded Congress from demanding that the agency answer questions in open testimony about the conditions under which captives are held. Virtually nothing is known about who is kept in the facilities, what interrogation methods are employed with them, or how decisions are made about whether they should be detained or for how long."
Posted at 06:50 AM
Tue - November 1, 2005
Why Granny Doesn't Watch TV
The Oprahization of
America
OK, we'll confess. Twice, we've tried to watch
Oprah. On neither occasion were we able to endure the program for more than 20
minutes.
Here's one example of why:
"Maureen..suffers from diarrhea, hemorrhoids and constipation. "My hemorrhoids feel so bad that it's like grapes hanging out of my rear," she says."
Yuk-a-doo. We are becoming a nation of self-help addicts, grounded in the trivial.
Quick. Turn the radio on!
Here's one example of why:
"Maureen..suffers from diarrhea, hemorrhoids and constipation. "My hemorrhoids feel so bad that it's like grapes hanging out of my rear," she says."
Yuk-a-doo. We are becoming a nation of self-help addicts, grounded in the trivial.
Quick. Turn the radio on!
Posted at 10:49 AM
Thu - October 27, 2005
It ain't over till it's over
This does NOT look good
for the Bush White House
The Washington Note is reporting that The
Office of the Special Counsel, Patrick Fitzgerald, is expanding into more
office space.
Fitzgerald's office is at currently at 1400 New York Avenue, NW, 9th Floor in Washington.
The Office of the Special Counsel has signed a lease this week for expanded office space across the street at 1401 New York Avenue, NW.
Perhaps indictments? A new Grand Jury? Tomorrow will tell!
Fitzgerald's office is at currently at 1400 New York Avenue, NW, 9th Floor in Washington.
The Office of the Special Counsel has signed a lease this week for expanded office space across the street at 1401 New York Avenue, NW.
Perhaps indictments? A new Grand Jury? Tomorrow will tell!
Posted at 11:34 AM
Thu - October 20, 2005
"No Child Left Behind" fails the grade.
Is anyone
surprised?
WaPo is reporting that the Bush
Administration's test-driven approach to education isn't showing much
promise.
"Reading scores among fourth- and eighth-graders showed little improvement over the past two years, and math gains were slower than in previous years..."
Liberals and conservatives alike in local school districts have long complained that the law requiring frequent testing by schools is underfunded and ineffective. NCLB is questionable politics and lousy policy. We're using America's children and our local classrooms as experimental laboratories for an approach that is totally lacking in any scientific research evidence. Instead, we're participating in this administration's attempts to abandon public schools in favor of privatization.
End of sermonette.
"Reading scores among fourth- and eighth-graders showed little improvement over the past two years, and math gains were slower than in previous years..."
Liberals and conservatives alike in local school districts have long complained that the law requiring frequent testing by schools is underfunded and ineffective. NCLB is questionable politics and lousy policy. We're using America's children and our local classrooms as experimental laboratories for an approach that is totally lacking in any scientific research evidence. Instead, we're participating in this administration's attempts to abandon public schools in favor of privatization.
End of sermonette.
Posted at 09:56 AM
Thu - October 6, 2005
Fri - September 30, 2005
Your President practices writing the alphabet
under the watchful eye of
the new Chief Justice.
Posted at 10:30 AM
Wed - September 28, 2005
Tue - September 27, 2005
It's "Banned Books Week"
Here's what one "frequently
challenged" author has to say.
"I've met thousands of children and not
even one time has a child come up to me and said, 'I'm so glad I've read these
books because now I want to be a witch.'
"
Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, whose books have been among the most challenged titles in schools and libraries.
Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling, whose books have been among the most challenged titles in schools and libraries.
Posted at 07:36 AM
Thu - September 22, 2005
Beauty and the Beast
Helen Mirren plays Queen
Elizabeth
One of our favorite actresses is Helen
Mirren . She's probably best known for her portrayal of Jane Tennison
in the TV mystery series, Prime Suspect.
Mirren has just completed a feature film, The Queen, in which she plays Elizabeth II.
Uncanny resemblance, isn't it?
Mirren has just completed a feature film, The Queen, in which she plays Elizabeth II.
Uncanny resemblance, isn't it?
Posted at 10:45 AM
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Published On: Dec 31, 2005 02:24 PM
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Published On: Dec 31, 2005 02:24 PM