Terror Strikes in Mumbai (India) Revelation - Hostages Tortured

Evidence has come to light that the terrorists in Mumbai India tortured their hostages before killing them. Extra effort was put into torturing Jews and Israelis. The torture was so disturbing that a doctor who has seen it all, does not want to go over the detail again even in his head.

Why; because they were Jewish, because they were Israeli, Western, not Muslim? In the minds of the terrorists it was probably all of the above. Not that those pathetic reasons mattered to the victims while they were being tortured or their friends and family now coming to grips with the reality of what happened.


http://www.rediff.com
http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/30mumterror-doctors-shocked-at-hostagess-torture.htm

"Asked specifically if he was talking of torture marks, he said: "It was apparent that most of the dead were tortured. What shocked me were the telltale signs showing clearly how the hostages were executed in cold blood," one doctor said.

The other doctor, who had also conducted the post-mortem of the victims, said: "Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again," he said."

NBC Exec - Obama's Skin Color Gives Him More Legitimacy

Mark Whitaker said, "the leader of the biggest democracy in the world is now a person of color and that is going to give him what political scientists would call a legitimacy in the street around the world that I don't think an American leader has had, ever perhaps." This comment went unchallenged, which is almost as unbelievable as the comment itself.

Surly is would be racist to say that no one of importance in the world will listen to Obama because of his skin color. It is just as racist to say that people will listen because of his skin color.

It is historic that America has elected the first black president, but lets not kid ourselves. Our enemies will not become our friends because our president is black anymore then then our friends will become our enemies for the same reason. The world will react to us based on our actions. Thinking otherwise is foolhardy at best with a racist tinge at worst.


http://newsbusters.org
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/11/30/nbc-exec-obamas-skin-color-gives-him-more-legitimacy-any-american-lea

"The number two man at NBC News believes Barack Obama's skin color gives him more legitimacy around the world than possibly any American leader in history.
...
As part of the panel on Sunday's "The Chris Matthews Show," Whitaker said the following about Barack Obama (h/t American Thinker's Marc Sheppard, file photo):
I think it goes beyond the Middle East, and I think it's a bigger phenomenon which is the leader of the biggest democracy in the world is now a person of color and that is going to give him what political scientists would call a legitimacy in the street around the world that I don't think an American leader has had, ever perhaps.

Imagine that. Because Obama is black, before he even steps into the White House and accomplishes one darned thing he already has more legitimacy around the world than possibly every American president that came before him."

PrintWhatYouLike.com

Printing webpages can be frustrating. Not every website is "printer friendly" and many are close to the opposite. Trying to print a page that does not have a special link to a printer friendly version of it means trying to copy and paste everything you need into a document or printing from the website and hoping for the best. Copy and pasting (if the website has not blocked it) can leave you with a mess to clean up in what ever text document you use. That is not always an easy task and it can be time consuming. The alternative is like playing roulette. You could end up with pictures and ads interspersed in your printed document and/or large areas of white space.

PrintWhatYouLike.com aims to make this process simple and easy and succeeds. Just go to PrintWhatYouLike.com, enter the URL of the webpage you want to print and click enter. Then, edit the page until it contains only what you want. Finally, click print. Its that simple. You can also combine multiple webpages and combine them into one document.

Head on over to give it a try, it will probobly save you some time and paper if you do.

Terror Strikes in Mumbai (India) - Day Three

The fighting appears to be close to over with very few if any hold outs. The death toll has risen to 160 thus far. Americans as well as other Western and Asian nations have citizens among the dead. A rabbi and his wife, both from NY, are among the dead as well. It is not clear yet if the people were killed by the terrorists or in the crossfire when the Indians were trying to save people and put and stop the terrorists; not that it matters much to the victims and their family.

Here are the updated links to keep you informed of this dynamic situation.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/28/mumbai-massacre-day-three-two-americans-five-jewish-hostages-dead
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,459004,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/28/india.attacks/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Bruce Wayne Killed by His Father

Many people who have never picked up a comic book or when to see a Batman movie still know who Bruce Wayne is, and his story. Bruce Wayne watched his parents get killed by a crook/thug in the back ally after leaving a play. That event shaped his destiny and he used his significant resources/fortune from Wayne Enterprises to help him become the Batman.

Batman is probably one of the top three most well know super heroes of all time. While Batman will live on in spirit for the foreseeable future, Bruce Wayne's time as Batman is coming to an end after roughly 70 years. Perhaps the only thing more shocking then Bruce Wayne being killed is the person who murdered him. The killer was his father; the person who we all thought was killed, who's murder was one of the primary catalysts to Batman's creation. You can read all about it in the comic Batman R.I.P.

Though Bruce Wayne is dead, Batman will live on. The two leading candidates to take up the mantel of Batman are the original Robin or current Boy Wonder.


http://www.thesun.co.uk
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/film/article1982939.ece

"Bruce Wayne – who by night is Batman – gets murdered by a man claiming to be the father he thought was dead.

In a highly controversial new storyline Bruce, who first appeared in 1939, is killed by Simon Hurt – the leader of the shady Black Glove organisation.

Simon claims he is really Dr Thomas Wayne, saying he faked his own passing when Bruce was a child.

The superhero dies when he tries to stop his foe escaping by helicopter in the new comic Batman R.I.P."

Man Dies in Black Friday Stampede

A worker at Walmart was trampled to death when a crowd broke through the door to start shopping this morning. A women who was eight months pregnant was also injured when she was knocked down and tramples. Early reports indicated that she had miscarried (presumably from the incident) but those now appear to have been unfounded.


http://www.nydailynews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/11/28/2008-11-28_worker_dies_at_long_island_walmart_after.html

"A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said.

The 34-year-old employee, a temporary maintenance worker, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m."

Terror Strikes in Mumbai (India) - Day Two

Some reports say that the fighting is continuing from the terrorist attack in Mumbai India. The number thought dead has risen to 125 so far, but is likely to continue to increase. The number of injured has dropped to about 300. That number will probably go up, but not necessarily to the levels originally feared. It is now apparent that Jews were a primary target. Americans, British, and Australians are among the confirmed injured. Israelis, Canadians, and French are among a number of other nationalities currently held hostage. I have not seen anything on foreign nationals killed. It is still not entirely clear who is behind the attack, but it is shaping up to be among the most significant since the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001.

Here are some links to keep you updated:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/27/india.attacks/index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,458524,00.html
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/27/update-mumbai-massacre-still-raging

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade "Rickrolls" America

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade "Rickrolled" America. "Rickrolling" is when you trick someone into watching or listening to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up". Watch the video below and you will understand.

Video embedded below.

Directed Energy Weapon "Zeus" Now Being Deployed

The "Zeus" is being deployed to the battle fields of Iraq. Why is this especially news worthy, because the "Zeus" is a Directed Energy Weapon. Feel free to just read, "ray gun" or "phaser". The weapon in used to detonate IEDs at the safe distance of 300 meters. their is only one currently in the field, but it is good start. Laser weapons are not coming, they are already here.


http://www.economist.com
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12502799

"The first serious battlefield ray gun is now being deployed. And the next generation, now in the laboratory, is coming soon.

The deployed ray gun (or “directed-energy weapon”, in the tedious jargon that military men seem compelled to use to describe technology) is known as Zeus. It is not designed to kill. Rather, its purpose is to allow you to remain at a safe distance when you detonate unexploded ordnance, such as the homemade roadside bombs that plague foreign troops in Iraq."

Terror Strikes in Mumbai (India)

A massive, well coordinated terror strike hit Mumbai India. Reports now indicate at least ten sites were struck simultaneously. Primary targets appear to be the police, and Americans/British citizens, as well as general murder destruction and chaos. They still appear to have hostages. While no one seems to have firm numbers, estimates for the dead are approaching 100, and estimates for the injured are approaching and surpassing 1,000. A little known terrorist group called the Deccan Mujahideen has taken credit for the attack. Some reports are saying that their may have been 100 people involved in these attacks.

Below are a few links to keep you updated:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,457885,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/26/india.attacks/index.html
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/26/massive-terror-plot-in-mumbai-80-dead-250-injured

Pets.com Bailout Hearing

They took the sock puppet from Pets.com and spliced it with the bailout hearing for the car industry (the "big three"). Its a short video that is decently funny, and might make you look at all these bailouts differently.

Video embedded below.

SurviveTheOutbreak.com

Can you SurviveTheOutbreak.com?

SurviveTheOutbreak.com is an interactive movie. The plot of the story is that a small group of people are being chased by zombies. Every minute or so, you have to make a decision from the perspective of one of the main characters. The story plays out depending on what your decisions are. If one of your decisions leads to your death, you can either start over or use the "Chapter Select" button to jump back to where you were before you died and see your decision tree.

The story is not that long, so even if you make every wrong decision you should still be able to complete the story within the half hour.

As it is a zombie story, there is a lot of blood and violence. This is not a something meant for young children.

Can you make it all the way through without dieing at all? Feel free to comment on how you did.

Why we Need a Missile Shield

Why do we need a missile shield capable of intercepting nukes? It is not to stop a nuclear armageddon sent our way by the Russians. It is not even to send a message to the Chines. The prospects of a nuclear exchange between them and us is extremely low. Regardless, the missile shield would not protect us from them. The plan is cost prohibitive as a mass production defense mechanism. That is to say that it is cheaper to build two missiles then it is to build one interceptor. Even if we could be sure that that our defense would never miss, we would still be on the wrong side of that equation.

We need it to protect against the solitary strike. One missile inbound missile fired by terrorist or "rouge" regime; that is what the need is for. With a small but effective missile shield in place we could prevent these nations from blackmailing us. We could also save lives on both sides. If we get nuked, thousands if not millions on our side would die (not to mention the economic losses). The response from our side against them would also lead to millions of deaths on their side.

As bad as that sounds, their is a scenario worse then the one just outlined. One nuke could be used not just to destroy a city, but to cripple the country. A nuke detonated 300 miles up, used as and EMP would destroy our electronic infrastructure while it fired most of our civilian economic devices. That scenario is clearly outlined below, but the takeaway point should be clear. We need a working missile shield; even if only a small one.


http://online.wsj.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122748923919852015.html?mod=rss_opinion_main

"Think about this scenario: An ordinary-looking freighter ship heading toward New York or Los Angeles launches a missile from its hull or from a canister lowered into the sea. It hits a densely populated area. A million people are incinerated. The ship is then sunk. No one claims responsibility. There is no firm evidence as to who sponsored the attack, and thus no one against whom to launch a counterstrike.

But as terrible as that scenario sounds, there is one that is worse. Let us say the freighter ship launches a nuclear-armed Shahab-3 missile off the coast of the U.S. and the missile explodes 300 miles over Chicago. The nuclear detonation in space creates an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

Gamma rays from the explosion, through the Compton Effect, generate three classes of disruptive electromagnetic pulses, which permanently destroy consumer electronics, the electronics in some automobiles and, most importantly, the hundreds of large transformers that distribute power throughout the U.S. All of our lights, refrigerators, water-pumping stations, TVs and radios stop running. We have no communication and no ability to provide food and water to 300 million Americans."

Dow Goes Skyward to The Tune of 396.97 Points

The Dow swung skyward today ending the day up 396.97 points. Most say the move was based on the bailout of Citi Bank. While that may sound good, it is tomorrow I am worried about. Only once during the course of this crisis was the day after an up from a bailout another up day. Hopefully tomorrow will make two. For now, lets focus on the good news. Last week we had the largest two day fall in the Dow since 1987. Friday and today combine for the largest two day increase since 1987. The three main American indexes (Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500) increase between just under 5% to 6.5%. A good day for the market, and the second one in a row (referring to Friday).


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aVv6DTKURp_E&refer=worldwide

"The S&P 500 surged 6.5 percent to 851.81, capping a two-day gain of more than 13 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 396.97 points, or 4.9 percent, to 8,443.39. The Nasdaq Composite rose 6.3 percent to 1,472.02. Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 climbed 8.4 percent, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped 0.7 percent."

Colmes to Leave "Hannity & Colmes"

Alan Colmes, the co-host of Hannity & Colmes, will be leaving the show at the end of the year. He has been their in with the same time slot for 12 years. The show captured the number one ranking in 2003 and have never released it. He is not leaving Fox News altogether. Colmes will continue to be a liberal commentator and host his own radio show. Their is word that he is developing his own weekend show similar to Hannity's America. It is not clear what will become of the show (Hannity & Colmes) but it seems that it may just become Hannity (solo). If given a vote, I would like to see Colmes replaced with another liberal commentator instead of it just becoming the Hannity Show. My specific vote would go to Kirsten Powers.


http://www.mediabistro.com
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/alan_colmes_leaving_hannity_colmes_101631.asp?c=rss

"Alan Colmes is leaving his position as co-host of "Hannity & Colmes" at the end of 2008.

According to the FNC release, he will stay on as a liberal commentator for FNC and as host of The Alan Colmes Show on FOX News Radio. He will also begin developing a weekend program for FNC.

Colmes has been co-host of the 9pmET program for 12 years."

DirtyCarArt.com

Drive around long enough in the right conditions, and you will find a film of dust beginning to cover your vehicle. Some people chose to keep their car clean and either wash, or get their car washed. Others do not have the time, or just do not care enough to clean there car. Those that do not wash their vehicle, or do not wash it fast enough, may find a prankster has written a message in the dust. These messages are generally short and simple relegated to a "clean me" or a smiley face.

The people at DirtyCarArt.com have taken things to a new level. Instead of a simple smiley face, the recreate famous paintings in the dust of dirty cars. They also create some unique works of their own.

If you like what you see, there is a contact information you can use to book them.

G. W. Bush, The Worst President Ever!!! (Except For All The Others)

Current President Bush is clearly the worst president in modern American history, unless you compare him to all the others. In the article quoted from below from the NY Post, they make a great point about the hysteria of some. Listening to these people you would think that Bush was the devil in disguise. When viewed through the lens of history, Bush appears more favorable. Head on over to the site to see some of the complaints of out past presidents and compare them to what Bush has done. I do not know how history will remember President Bush, but I am relevantly certain that it will not be nearly as bad as some on the left believe.


http://www.nypost.com
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11152008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/fail_to_the_chiefs_138879.htm

"Farewell to George W. Bush. The. Worst. President. In. Modern. History.
Except for...

Everything is the best/worst/funniest/most tragic/most brilliant thing ever, if you're a high school girl, the hero of "Memento" or a political commentator. Things look different if you extend your memory more than five minutes into the past."

First Bioengineered Organ Transplant

Claudia Castillo has become the first person to receive an organ transplant grown specially for her using her own cells. The operation to replace her windpipe was a success. This could usher in an age where a lack of donated organs is no longer a problem as people have organs grown tailor made for them. Such organs would be better then donated ones because fear of rejection would no longer be a problem.


http://www.independent.co.uk
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/the-medical-miracle-1024576.html

"A 30-year-old Spanish woman has made medical history by becoming the first patient to receive a whole organ transplant grown using her own cells.

Experts said the development opened a new era in surgery in which the repair of worn-out body parts would be carried out with personally customised replacements.

Claudia Castillo, who lives in Barcelona, underwent the operation to replace her windpipe after tuberculosis had left her with a collapsed lung and unable to breathe."

What Global Warming Causes

The video below is rather long, but it is a comical series of headlines of the effects of global warming. The comical nature comes from the contradicting predictions and/or effects of global warming in the headlines. It becomes crystal clear at the end that the creator either does not believe in global warming. Regardless of your view, it is still funny to see the blatant contradictions the headlines show.

Video embedded below.

Dow Jumps 494.13 Points

The markets rose steeply today on news that Obama has pegged Timothy Geithner (current New York Federal Reserve Bank chief) to head the Treasury. The Dow ended the week above the 8,000 mark after a 6.54% increase on the day. The Nasdaq and S&P were up sharply as well each gaining more than 5%.


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 8,046.42 494.13 6.54%
Nasdaq 1,384.35 68.23 5.18%
S&P 500 800.03 47.59 6.32%"

E=MC2 Proven True

Almost everyone has heard one of Einstein's most famous theorems; E=MC2 (Energy equals Mass times the Speed of Light Squared). This formula explains that mass and energy can can be created by the other, and how much of the other their destruction will create. Until recently, it has only been a theory. Now it has finally been proven true.


http://news.yahoo.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081120/sc_afp/sciencephysicseinstein_081120235605

"It's taken more than a century, but Einstein's celebrated formula e=mc2 has finally been corroborated, thanks to a heroic computational effort by French, German and Hungarian physicists.
...
"Until now, this has been a hypothesis," France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) said proudly in a press release.

"It has now been corroborated for the first time.""

Atomik Kaos

Atomik Kaos is a game that is all about creating chain reactions. Different particles in the game have different effects when struck with a particle. To start the chain reaction you use the mouse to click on one of the floating particles. The game has two modes, endless and normal.

Normal play is levels which are puzzles. Create "x" effect by doing "y". Endless creates a never ending stream of particles. When the number of particles on the screen is 20 or more the game ends.

Game embedded below.



An AGame game, powered by Arcade Point

Dow Off 444.99 Points

The Dow dropped 444.99 points. Combining the drop with yesterday makes for the largest two day percentage loss for the Dow since October of 1987 (10.6% loss). The S&P lost 6.71% hitting a numerical low not seen since April of 1997. The Nasdaq which did better then the other two indexes still was down more than 5%; better here is obviously a relative term.


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 7,552.29 -444.99 -5.56%
Nasdaq 1,316.12 -70.30 -5.07%
S&P 500 752.44 -54.14 -6.71%"

VI (Victory in Iraq) Day Coming Soon?

Concluding after heavy research that we have won the war in Iraq, and figuring that no one in the main stream media nor the government would acknowledge it, Zombietime has decided to declare victory. VI Day, or Victory in Iraq Day will be official set by Zombietime at November 22, 2008. Head over to http://www.zombietime.com/vi_day for information and detail.

Dow Dips 427.47 Points Closing Below 8,000

The markets hit nearly five year lows today with the Dow dropping 427.47 points to close at 7,997.28. That is obviously below the 8,000 point mark. The Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all lost between 5% and 6.5%. The financial crisis has destroyed just under $6.7 Trillion in the S&P 500 alone. The "tr" before the "illion" is no typo. To put that number in perspective, it is more than the total economic output of most countries was for an entire year before this crisis hit.


http://news.yahoo.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/wall_street;_ylt=AnhNZCAEpQAFPJDVrdT6rgAVkmwF

"The S&P 500, widely considered the broadest snapshot of corporate America, slipped 6.12 percent to 806.58; and the Dow gave up 5.07 percent to 7,997.28. Both closed at their lowest levels since March 2003.

The financial crisis has already wiped out $6.69 trillion of value from the S&P 500 since its October 2007 high, and many fear more is to come.

...

Market Summary
Symbol Last Change
Dow 7,997.28 -427.47 -5.07%
Nasdaq 1,386.42 -96.85 -6.53%
S&P 500 806.58 -52.54 -6.12%"

Hitler Had One Testicle

A new account from a German medic seems to confirm what had long been suspected, Hitler had one testicle. The report seems to suggest that he started with both, but lost one when he got injured in the Battle of the Somme (World War One). Imagine how differently history would have played out if his serious wound had instead been fatal.

http://www.thesun.co.uk
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1945960.ece

"Johan’s friend Blassius Hanczuch confirmed the priest’s
account of how the medic saved Hitler’s life. He said: “In
1916 they had their hardest fight in the Battle of the Somme.

“For several hours, Johan and his friends picked up injured
soldiers. He remembers Hitler.

“They called him the ‘Screamer’. He was very
noisy. Hitler was screaming ‘help, help’.

“His abdomen and legs were all in blood. Hitler was injured in
the abdomen and lost one testicle. His first question to the doctor was: ‘Will
I be able to have children?’.”

Blassius said that when the Nazis swept to power Johan began to suffer
nightmares and blame himself for saving Hitler.

Hitler’s genitals have long caused controversy. Some historians
dismissed the “one ball” song as propaganda. But an
alleged Soviet autopsy on Hitler backed it up.

Records show Hitler did suffer a groin injury in the Somme.

"

Bomomo.com

Bomomo is a simple website that allows you to create artwork. Everything centers around a number of circles on your virtual canvas. Their is a bar across the bottom which allows you to control the behavior of the circles. Your mouse leads them around.

If you do not like what you have created you can clear the screen. If you like what you made you can download the picture.

Camera Grenade

Poking your head around a corner is a hazardous activity, but it is better then walking out into the middle of the street not knowing what can see you. Their has to be a better way, and now their is. Introducing the Camera Grenade, or the I-Ball. It is a ball with two fish-eye lenses that you can through or launch and get real time 360 degree video without putting you or any of you equipment (minus the ball of course) in danger. Think of the possibilities.


http://news.bbc.co.uk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7734038.stm

"Dubbed the I-Ball the wireless device is robust enough to survive being thrown onto a battlefield.

The I-Ball's internal camera gives a 360 degree view, with images being sent from the instant it is launched.

It is thought the new technology would enable soldiers to see into potential danger spots without putting themselves at risk of ambush."

Treasury May Save $350 Billion of The Bailout For Obama

There is word that $350 billion of the bailout will not be used until after Obama is sworn in as President. That would mean that Obama would have a hand in deciding where and how that money gets spent. Might this prevent another bailout after this one runs out of money since the Democrats would have full control of where it went? I am hopeful but not holding my breath.


http://news.yahoo.com
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_go_co/meltdown_money?xid=rss-page

"The outgoing Bush administration has told top lawmakers it does not plan to use at least half of the $700 billion bailout fund that Congress approved this fall to aid the financial industry, congressional officials said Monday. The Treasury Department denied the claim, but stopped short of saying the funds would be tapped.

The congressional officials said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson passed the word over the weekend that he intends to leave $350 billion untouched when the administration leaves office on Jan. 20. That would mean the incoming Obama administration would decide whether and how the funds should be spent."

Pirates Hijacked Saudi Supertanker (Oil)

Pirates have hijacked a Saudi Supertanker with two million gallons of oil on board.  This type of hijacking is near the top of my list of fears.  Oil prices have been sliding for a while, but can you imagine the effect this would have had back when oil prices were near their peak.  My fear is not just the effect this could have on prices, but physical damage.  Oil supertankers are among the largest ships on the seas and contain a huge amount of a very volatile cargo.  Imagine the effect of a terrorist ramming a tanker like this into a major port.

First, there would be almost no way to stop it.  A ship of this size and mass builds up so much inertia that it takes some time to stop it without it fighting you.  Traveling at full speed with the engines maxed out would likely overcome any attempt to physical pull it back if you could manage to hook on to it in the first place (assuming you do not catch up to it until it gets close to shore).  Shooting at it is not optimal either because of the massive oil spill you could cause and the possibility of the oil catching fire and exploding.  Even if you do not shoot at it, once it hits something in port it will have the same effect.  One word; nightmare.  It does not appear that the pirates have this in mind, but if pirates can hijack a ship in once thought "safe" waters, so can terrorists.


http://www.ft.com
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e10892ba-b4a8-11dd-b780-0000779fd18c.html

"Pirates operating off the coast of east Africa have hijacked a Saudi supertanker fully laden with an estimated 2m barrels of oil in an attack that marks a significant escalation in the scope of banditry in the region.

The pirates, believed to be from lawless Somalia, seized control of the Sirius Star, which is owned by Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, on Saturday, 450 nautical miles south-east of the Kenyan Indian Ocean port of Mombasa.

It is estimated that the tanker was holding more than a quarter of the daily exports from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter. The oil would have been worth about $100m (€79m, £66.5m) at Monday’s market price..."

Obama Resigns From The Senate

President Elect Barack Obama has officially resigned from the United States Senate. He is obviously preparing to the Presidency and as such is vacating his senate seat. Vice president elect Joe Biden is chosing to wait before resigning from his senate seat. He has said that he will resign when he gets sworn in as the Vice Presidnet.


http://www.cnn.com
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/16/obama.letter/index.html

"Obama announced on Thursday that his resignation from the U.S. Senate is official as of Sunday.

"Today, I am ending one journey to begin another," Obama's letter said. "After serving the people of Illinois in the United States Senate -- one of the highest honors and privileges of my life -- I am stepping down as senator to prepare for the responsibilities I will assume as our nation's next president.""

BlackBerry Storm Official Release Date And Pricing

The BlackBerry Storm now has an official release date and pricing from Verizon (http://estore.vzwshop.com/storm). The Storm, BlackBerry's first touch screen, is set for release on the 21st of this month. It will cost just under $200 after a $50 mail in rebate ($199.99) with a two year contract. Even though the Storm is a touch screen, it is supposed to "click" when you type on it. I am not entirely sure what that means, but I can not wait to give it a try. I have a BlackBerry (Curve), and I purposly got a phone with a qwerty keybord. If the "clicking" is as realistic as they are claiming, the Storm may be my next phone. If not, I will probobly get the Bold (BlackBerry).

General Ann Dunwoody "Breaks The 'Brass' Ceiling"

General Ann Dunwoody has broken the "Brass Ceiling" becoming the first ever four star general in the United States. She was nominated by President George W. Bush and said that when she found out she felt humbled. The Senate confirmed her nomination in July. Dunwoody comes from a long line of military men dating back to the 1800's. She was served since 1975 and had received numerous awards.


http://www.breitbart.com
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D94ERLRO3&show_article=1

"Call it breaking the brass ceiling. Ann E. Dunwoody, after 33 years in the Army, ascended Friday to a peak never before reached by a woman in the U.S. military: four-star general.
...
Dunwoody received her Army commission after graduating from the State University of New York in 1975.

Her first assignment was to Fort Sill, as supply platoon leader in June 1976, and she remained at Sill in various positions until she was sent to quartermaster officer school at Fort Lee, Va., in July 1980.

She later served in Germany and Saudi Arabia.

After graduating from the Command and General Staff College in 1987, she was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., where she became the 82nd Airborne Division's first female battalion commander.

She has numerous decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal and Defense Superior Service Medal."

First Images of a Planet Orbiting Another Stars

We known their were planets orbiting stars other then our own for a while, and have even been able to detect a few hundred of them, but we have never been able to take a picture of the planets. That is, until now. For the first time, we have taken a picture of a planet orbiting another star. It does not look like much, just a small blurry dot, but it is a historic achievement. Soon after the first was taken (which is the first one imaged below) a second one as well. Their is even word of a third currently being reviewed for confirmation.

My understanding is that the lines emanating from the black center are image falsehoods. The red dust ring is real. The blacked out area is where the star is, but it is blacked out in order to see the surrounding dust and the planet. The second is easier to understand.

Scroll down, look at the pictures, and be amazed.


http://blogs.discovermagazine.com
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/11/13/huge-exoplanet-news-items-pictures

"

The first picture is from Hubble. Ready? Here it is:

Do you see it? That tiny spark, that wee blip of light? It may not look like much, but it is in fact a normal planet orbiting a normal star, 250 trillion kilometers from Earth.

...

This is huge news.

And it gets even huger. Because there’s more:

That image is the first to directly show two planets orbiting another star! It’s a near-infrared image using the giant Gemini North 8 meter telescope. Like in the Hubble image, the star’s light has been blocked, allowing the two planets to be seen (labeled b and c).

The star is called HR 8799. It’s a bit more massive (1.5 times) and more luminous (5x) than the Sun, and lies about 130 light years from Earth. The planets in this picture orbit it at distances of 6 billion km (3.6 billion miles) and 10.5 billion km (6.3 billion miles). A third planet, not seen in this image but discovered later using the Keck 10 meter telescope, orbits the star closer in at a distance of 3.8 billion km (2.3 billion miles).

So there it is. The first ever family portrait of a planetary system.

"

Dow Drops Nearly 338 Points

After a very pleasant up day for the Dow yesterday, today saw a 337.95 point loss. Their is plenty of negative economic news to point to as possible reasons, but it may just be the general volatility of the market. I think the only thing that is still generally agreed upon is that we can continue to expect massive swings in the market in the near term.


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 8,497.31 -337.94 -3.82%
Nasdaq 1,516.85 -79.85 -5.00%
S&P 500 873.29 -38.00 -4.17%"

Cross Stomping at Gay Rights Rally

I understand the disappointment and distress that some in the Gay community feels with the ban on same sex marriage in California. Still, knocking a cross out of the hands of an old lady and stomping on it. Worse yet, no one even seems to bat an eye. I do not believe that the people who trampled the cross reflect the entire gay community, but no one can really think that those people are helping their cause. Indeed, probobly the opposite. The leaders of the gay marriage movement should come out strongly against this and apologies to the only women.

Jump to 2:30
Video embedded below.

India Reachs The Moon

India has become the fifth country to put something on the moon. The second space race is heating up fast, and their are more players this time around.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chandrayaan-I_Impact_Probe_lands_on_moon/articleshow/3714245.cms

"The tricolour landed on the Moon at 8.31 pm on Friday, opening a new chapter in the history of India’s space exploration.

Other entities which have reached the Moon are the US, former Soviet Union, Japan (albeit via a malfunction that sent its orbiter crashing onto the lunar surface) and the European Space Agency (17 nations). India becomes the fifth member of this club.
...
ISRO officials told TOI that the countdown for the MIP’s much-awaited flight to the surface of the Moon began at 7.47 pm.

It went off smoothly and at 8.01 pm the command was issued for it to separate from the orbiting spacecraft. The MIP began its flight towards the Moon’s south pole and after a 25-minute flight, crashlanded."

Dow Rockets up 552.59 Points

Today was a good day for the market. It is not exactly clear why. The Dow ended up more than 550 points after being down around 300. The USA indexes were up between %6.5-%7, a good day by any measure.


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 8,835.25 552.59 6.67%
Nasdaq 1,596.70 97.49 6.50%
S&P 500 911.29 58.99 6.92%"

Video Chat in Gmail

Video chat is not a reality in Google's Gmail. Some might say, "took them long enough", but why be petty now that the app you want is here. If you did not want it, then you probobly are not going to pay attention to this announcement anyway. The real benefit here is the seamless integration of video chat into Gmail. With the rise of web cams, especially those coming built in to laptops, this feature is sure to be widely used. It even works if only one person has a web cam, but it would obviously be a one way video chat. Give it a try.


http://googleblog.blogspot.com
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/talk-face-to-face-right-from-within.html

"Video chatting from Gmail is as easy as sending an instant message. With our team spread out across Google offices in Sweden and the U.S., it's been really handy in helping us work together. Just click on the new "Video & more" menu in a Gmail chat window and select "Start video chat" or "Start voice chat." You can switch to a full screen view or pop out the chat window and change the size and positioning as you wish. Of course, not everyone has a webcam, but even if you don't, you can still have voice conversations alongside your email and regular chat."


http://gmailblog.blogspot.com
http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/say-hello-to-gmail-voice-and-video-chat.html

"We've tried to make this an easy-to-use, seamless experience, with high-quality audio and video -- all for free. All you have to do is download and install the voice and video plugin and we take care of the rest. And in the spirit of open communications, we designed this feature using Internet standards such as XMPP, RTP, and H.264, which means that third-party applications and networks can choose to interoperate with Gmail voice and video chat.

Once you install the plugin, to start a video chat, just click on the "Video & more" menu at the bottom of your Gmail chat window, and choose "Start video chat." You'll have a few seconds to make sure you look presentable while it's ringing, and then you'll see and hear your friend live, right from within Gmail. You can click the "pop-out" iconto make the video larger, or click the fullscreen iconin the upper left-hand corner for a fully immersive experience."

Rahm Emanuel on Compulsory Civil Defense Service

Take away, the video suggests he supports it. Is Compulsory Civil Defense Service necessarily bad, that is something you should decide for yourself.


Video embedded below.

Google Tracking Flu Trends

Feeling sick? Heading online to Google to find some remedies? If so, you would be one of the many people Google is tracking in an effort to figure out which areas of the country are sick. They are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Google's tracking methods have been found to be superior to past methods in the speed at which the disease is tracked.


http://googleblog.blogspot.com
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/tracking-flu-trends.html

"Our team found that certain aggregated search queries tend to be very common during flu season each year. We compared these aggregated queries against data provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and we found that there's a very close relationship between the frequency of these search queries and the number of people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms each week. As a result, if we tally each day's flu-related search queries, we can estimate how many people have a flu-like illness. Based on this discovery, we have launched Google Flu Trends, where you can find up-to-date influenza-related activity estimates for each of the 50 states in the U.S."

Dow Down 411.30 Points

The Dow fell just under 5% today losing 411 points. This is amid a tremendous amount of bad economic news. Add to this the new political uncertainty as it is announced that the $700 Billion bail out will not be spent in the way in which it was justified. It is not clear exactly how it will be spent now, but it looks like another $500 Billion could be coming down the "pipes". We are starting to come close to breaking through the 8,000 point Dow mark.


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 8,282.66 -411.30 -4.73%
Nasdaq 1,499.21 -81.69 -5.17%
S&P 500 852.30 -46.65 -5.19%"

CNN's Election Night Hologram Was a Fake

CNN's election night Hologram was not actually a hologram. It was instead a tomogram. Tomogram's appear to be holograms but are only two dimensional. They are digital constructions on your television. CNN reporters were talking to thin air using a red dot on the floor to know what direction to look at.


http://www.smh.com.au
http://www.smh.com.au/news/home/technology/cnn-holograms-just-smoke-and-mirrors/2008/11/07/1225561097423.html

"In what was billed as a world-first, Yellin appeared to be beamed from Chicago into the network's New York studio for an interview with anchor Wolf Blitzer. But, in fact, Blitzer was looking at little more than a red mark on the floor."

"Odourprinting"

What is that smell, you, uniquely you. According to a study, every person has a smell as unique to them as a fingerprint. Them smell does not change either. One day someone may uses your smell to identify you.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3414573/Odourprinting-could-be-used-to-identify-people.html

"Every person has a unique fragrance, similar to a fingerprint or DNA sample, which could be used to create a database of human scents, scientists said.

Eating powerful foods such as chili or garlic may change how we smell, but it does not disguise our underlying genetically-determined aroma, tests on mice have shown. Creatures who were given strong-smelling foods were still recognised by their peers."

"You Must Control Your Digital First Impression"

"You Must Control Your Digital First Impression."
Quote by Andrew Berman

Most people know that first impressions are important. Increasingly, first impressions are made in the digital sphere. Even if not a first impression, the digital first impression can be influential. Do not think for one second that when you apply for a job your employer will not search for you online. That includes materials that you posted and materials that others posted about you. Your potential employer may not be able to tell that something written about you is a lie or a joke. You must actively combat the falsehoods and advocate for yourself; it is doubtful that anyone else will do it for you.

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) on Private Property and Redistributing Wealth

As you will see in the video Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) does not care much for private property and is in favor of spreading the wealth.

"We have been guided by a Republican administration who believes in the simplistic notion that people who have wealth are entitled to keep it and they have an antipathy towards the means of redistributing wealth and they may be able to sustain it for a while but it doesn’t work in the long run."

Video embedded below.

Man Arrested for Wearing a McCain-Palin Shirt

I do not know what is worse, the fact that the man was arrested for wearing a McCain/Palin shirt at an Obama rally, or the fact that the crowd was cheering on the cops while chanting "Obama".

Videos embedded below.

Important part of the original with some captions and explanations.


Original so that you can see the excerpt above was not taken out of context.

New Fungi Could Be Used to Make Biodiesel

A new Fungi recently discovered in the Patagonian rain forest creates bio diesel as part of its natural life cycle. It is the only known organism which does this. This has significant potential in the alternative fuel production. It also goes to show how much potential could still be undiscovered in the world's rain forests.


http://www.edie.net
http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=15544&channel=0&title=Fungal+diesel+could+be+new+fuel+source

"A fungus that makes biodiesel as part of its natural lifecycle has attracted the attention of American scientists wishing to tap into its potential.

The fungus has been discovered living in trees in the Patagonian rainforests and is believed to be unique in its ability to synthesize a variety of substances useful in fuel production."

Mini Nuclear Power Plants

How do mini nuclear power plants sound to you? A company says they already have 100 firm order for their mini nuke plants even though they will not be done for the next five years. These plants will be buried under the ground and contain no moving parts. The power generation should be sufficient for 20,000 house holds. This could help with rising energy costs and provide power to areas of the world where there is or will be a deficiency.


http://www.guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/09/miniature-nuclear-reactors-los-alamos

"Nuclear power plants smaller than a garden shed and able to power 20,000 homes will be on sale within five years, say scientists at Los Alamos, the US government laboratory which developed the first atomic bomb.

The miniature reactors will be factory-sealed, contain no weapons-grade material, have no moving parts and will be nearly impossible to steal because they will be encased in concrete and buried underground.

The US government has licensed the technology to Hyperion, a New Mexico-based company which said last week that it has taken its first firm orders and plans to start mass production within five years. 'Our goal is to generate electricity for 10 cents a watt anywhere in the world,' said John Deal, chief executive of Hyperion. 'They will cost approximately $25m [£13m] each. For a community with 10,000 households, that is a very affordable $250 per home.'"

Surge in Gun Sales

Fear that the new Democratic president along with a larger Democratic majority in the House and Senate have some people fearing tougher gun laws. People are rushing to the store to buy their weapons now before potential law changes make it more difficult. Obama has said that he respects people's second amendment right to bear arms, but he has also said that he supports common sense gun laws. Some either do not believe the first statement, or suspect the latter as code for implementing strict gun control. Either way, if you are a gun shop owner your economic outlook is brighter then most at least for the next few months.


http://www.knoxnews.com
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/nov/08/fears-dem-crackdown-lead-boom-gun-sales

"Last month, as an Obama win looked increasingly inevitable, there were more than 108,000 more background checks for gun purchases than in October 2007, a 15 percent increase. And they were up about 8 percent for the year as of Oct. 26, according to the FBI.

No data was available for gun purchases this week, but gun shops from suburban Virginia to the Rockies report record sales since Tuesday's election.

"They're scared to death of losing their rights," said David Hancock, manager of Bob Moates, where sales have nearly doubled in the past week and are up 15 percent for the year. On Election Day, salespeople were called in on their day off because of the crowd."

FCC To Open "White Spaces" to Wireless Broadband Service

The FCC voted to allow the unused and unlicensed sections of the airwave spectrum to deliver broadband internet service. Use of the so called "white space" is something technology company have been pushing for a while. TV broadcasters are expected to sue to stop this saying that it may interfere with television signals. If the suit fails, or they end up not suing, this could be a major advance in internet connectivity.


http://news.wired.com
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_FCC_WHITE_SPACES?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-11-04-20-59-11

"The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to open up unused, unlicensed portions of the television airwaves known as "white spaces" to deliver wireless broadband service.

The vote is a big victory for public interest groups and technology companies such as Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. that say white spaces could be used to bring broadband to rural America and other underserved parts of the country."

Nuke Hunting Drones

Israel is working on a UAV that is able to distinguish between nuclear warheads and decoys in their latest effort to provide a missile shield. It is fairly clear that the message they are sending is to Iran, but it may not be as effective as they hope. I am not saying the technology will not work, indeed Israel has an amazing record of developing rather exotic technologies that do work. The problem is that it assumes a nuclear strike will come in missile form. Such an attack would be foolish. While Israel does not comment as to if it has nuclear warheads, it is widely believed that they do. At last I checked they had three German built subs which only have one real purpose, that is as a second strike platform. I do not think the Iranians would be foolish enough to launch a nuke at Israel. If they plan on attacking, it seems much more plausible that they would smuggle a weapon into Israel then launch one. You can instantly tell where a launch comes from, but if a nuke goes off "all of a sudden" with no missile trail it is much harder to know were it came from and who was behind the attack.

Still, you should always try to cover all your bases. Technology that defends you from from nuclear missile strikes is one of those basis. Knowing what I do about Israel, I am sure they have technology and are working on other technology in an effort to cover the rest of their bases.


http://blog.wired.com
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/11/israel-wants-nu.html

"Israeli military is working on "a high-fly­ing, long-endurance unmanned in­frared sensor" that can tell the difference between "nuclear war­heads amid doz­ens of decoys sent to confound na­tional missile defenses," Defense News' Barbara Opall-Rome reports. "If implemented, the Israeli program will mark the first use of an unmanned platform for [n]uclear warhead hunting."
...
Picking out a war­head from sophisticated decoys is "if not the most challenging, one of the most challenging problems that missile defense people are working," GlobalSecurity.org director John Pike tells Defense News. But it's not impossible."

Obama Makes Fun of Nancy Reagan

If Obama is serious about bipartisanship, he should not make fun of someone who is, and is the wife of a hero for conservatives and republicans alike. Especially not while she is recovering from a broken hip. At his press conference today he made a joke at Nancy Reagan's expense.

Video embedded below.



Obama was quick to apologize.


http://www.politico.com
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1108/Obama_apologizes_to_Nancy_Reagan.html

"President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan this afternoon to apologize for a joke about her having heald "séances" in the White House, an Obama aide said.

“President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan today to apologize for the careless and off handed remark he made during today’s press conference," said transition spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter. "The President-elect expressed his admiration and affection for Mrs. Reagan that so many Americans share and they had a warm conversation."
...
He was apparently confusing stories about Reagan's consulting with an astrologer with those about other First Ladies -- from Mary Todd Lincoln to Hillary Clinton -- who tried to make contact with other figures from the past."

Fox News Did Not Get to Ask a Question at Obama's Press Conferance

At Obama's press conference today, the first one since he was elected as our next president, Fox News did not get to ask a question. Accident, retribution; your guess is as good as mine.


http://www.mediabistro.com
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/television/who_got_to_ask_questions_at_the_obama_presser_100032.asp

"Who Got To Ask Questions At The Obama Presser?

In order:

Nedra Pickler (AP), Lee Cowan (NBC), Jake Tapper (ABC), Chip Reid (CBS), Karen Bohan (Reuters), John McCormick (Chicago Tribune), Lynn Sweet (Chicago Sun-Times), Candy Crowley (CNN), Jeff Zeleny (New York Times).

Which network didn't get a question? Fox News."

Superintendent Response to Questionable Teacher

Yesterday we reported on a teacher that was indoctrinating her students (Berman Post: Teachers Like This Are The Reason Our School System is Failing). Today the superintendent responds to the controversy.

Take away - he was shocked, did not know it was going on, and is going to deal with it.

Video embedded below.




http://www.ccs.k12.nc.us

"CCS Headline News - Superintendent's Response to YouTube
I was shocked when I saw the clip of an interaction between a Cumberland County Schools teacher and her students as posted on YouTube. While neutral discussion of the political process is appropriate, at no time, particularly with elementary students, should a teacher infuse his/her political views into the discussion. Most disconcerting was the military slant that made its way into this discussion. We are a military community, serving over 15,000 military students and their families. We value the sacrifices, not only of the military parents but also those of their families.

We believe that military children are our children, military spouses are many of our employees, and military service men and women are our heroes. We proudly serve our military children and have received national awards for our support of military families.

I was particularly disturbed to see the uncomfortable position in which our children were placed due to the inappropriate actions of one of our teachers. Please be assured that the actions exhibited in this video are not consistent with the vision of the CCS. Moreover, the actions of one teacher do not represent the 7000 employees in our organization.

Once the video was brought to my attention, I immediately launched an investigation. Personnel laws prevent me from releasing information regarding individual employees and personnel action taken. I can assure you that upon completion of the investigation, I will take appropriate action.

Dr. William Harrison
CCS' Superintendent"

Fox News Self Censors

The Fairness Doctrine seems no longer to be the only concern with the media. There is a report that Fox News is not censoring itself. If Fox News is backing off Obama, their are not many entities we can look to for honest reporting. I am not suggesting that Fox News should partake in hit pieces against Obama, but backing off is just as bad. That leaves talk radio and the conservative blogesphere as the main sources for news that may paint Obama in a justifiably unfavorable light for the time being. I am sure most of us can agree that we hope their will not be such news, but it is distressing that the places one could go to find it are shrinking.


http://www.nydailynews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com/other/2008/11/07/2008-11-07_side_dish_the_boss_keeps_em_laughing.html

"Fox News boss Roger Ailes doesn't want to spoil Barack Obama's political honeymoon, we hear. A source says Ailes has told prime-time hosts Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren to lay off the President-elect - at least for a while. "We're not going to have any personal attacks on Obama," a network insider says. "The public has spoken - we must treat him with respect.""


The radioequalizer.blogspot.com has more.
http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/2008/11/fox-news-channel-engages-in-chinese.html

"This confirms an almost-identical account your Radio Equalizer was given Wednesday evening from a key source. That person contends the order came from the top: Rupert Murdoch himself.

"Personal attacks", by the way, can be construed to mean any criticism of Barack Obama whatsoever.

The reason? News Corporation is bracing for potentially-vindictive actions by Obama's incoming thugocracy, especially regarding dual station / newspaper ownership rules and apparently seeks to placate the Dear Leader, hoping he will be merciful."

Dow Down 443.48 Points

The Dow dropped 443.48 points today. This is the largest two day drop in the Dow in roughly 20 years. Today we had some news that would seem to justify the movement. Still, I think some of it is market jitters from the uncertainty of how the Democrats are going to lead and the policies they will pursue.


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 8,695.79 -443.48 -4.85%
Nasdaq 1,608.70 -72.94 -4.34%
S&P 500 904.88 -47.89 -5.03%"

Teachers Like This Are The Reason Our School System is Failing

I do not know which is more frighting; the blatant indoctrination of children or the fact that that we are only discovering it because a foreign country was doing a documentary on our election. Transcript of the video is available at http://brianakira.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/dont-let-sick-bastards-like-diantha-harris-abuse-your-children.

Video embedded below.

Chris Matthews - My Job is to Make This Presidency a Success

I case you had any doubt that most of the main stream media was bias, especially MSNBC, here is a clip that should put those doubts to rest.

The take away quote from Chris Matthews. its his job to make this presidency a success.

Video embedded below.

"Impeach Obama" Facebook Groups

Obama is not yet president, nor has anyone I heard suggested that he has committed an Impeachable offense, yet there are already Facebook groups calling for his impeachment. If this is any indication, it is going to be a long four years. Fellow conservatives, please save your criticism and activism for important activities. You know; fighting for lower taxes, smaller government, personal responsibility... . Despite this call from my self and many others, I have a sneaking suspicion that we will be reporting on many stories of a similar nature over the course of Obama's term.

Official "Joe the Plumber" Website

Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber, is using his new found fame to launch the Secure Our Dream foundation. It is mostly under construction right now, but you can sign up and pre-order items. They appear to be in the process of making it an official not for profit organization and are asking for donations.

CNN Used a Hologram During Election Coverage

If you were not watching CNN's election coverage of the 2008 presidential election you missed a very interesting site, a hologram. It does not seem to have any news benefit, but it seems to add the the "coolness" or entertainment factor.


http://www.mahalo.com
http://www.mahalo.com/CNN_Hologram

"CNN Senior Vice President David Bohrman reported that they have placed 44 cameras and 20 computers in each of their remote locations to capture and record three-dimensional images of the remote interviewees. The data will be used to create the hologram, which will make it appear as though the interviewee is in the studio with the CNN correspondents."


Video embedded below.

Predictions for the 2012 Election

As promised yesterday, it is time for me to post my predictions for the 2012 presidential election.

Republican Ticket:
Palin/Romney if Palin wants it. If she does not want to run Romney takes the top of the ticket and runs with Jindal.

Democratic Ticket:
This one depends on how Obama governs. If he is centrist, slightly left leaning, or surprisingly leans right, it will be Obama/Biden. If Obama instead lurches far to the left he will be unpopular enough (less then 30% approval rating) that Hillary Clinton will challenge him and win. This would result in the Clinton/Richardson ticket.

Election Day results:
Republican victory if running against Obama ticket by a safe margin.
Republican victory if running against Clinton ticket by a razor thin margin.

Dow Drops Just Over 486 Points

After one of the largest election day gains in history of more than 300 points for the Dow, the United States had the worst post election day drop ever. The Dow dropped just a touch over 486 points on no real news. No news that is, except who are president will be for at least the next four years. Any connection? No way to know for sure, but it is possible. For the reason you should read my last post (Berman Post: Why Raising Capital Gains Tax Can Crash The Market).


http://www.bloomberg.com
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/index.html?Intro=intro_markets

"Market Snapshot

DJIA 9,139.27 -486.01 -5.05%
Nasdaq 1,681.64 -98.48 -5.53%
S&P 500 952.77 -52.98 -5.27%"

Why Raising Capital Gains Tax Can Crash The Market

It seems to me that you do not have to be a Harvard Economist to understand why raising the Capital Gains tax can cause an economic crash. Yet a surprising number of people that I come across disagree. After working through my simple logic problem though, they seem to come around. So hear it is; and please feel free to try and dispute it or tell me where I am going wrong in the comment section.

You have $1,000,000 in the market. Right now the Capital Gains tax is 15%. That means that if you take out that money out of the market right now the government would take $150,000 leaving you with $850,000. The Capital Gains tax will be raised tomorrow to 20%. That means that if you take you money out of the market 48 hours later the government would take $200,000 leaving you with $800,000. So, by staying in the market for an extra two days you lose $50,000. What do you do; sell. Now, what is the effect of everyone in the market selling all at once; market crash? Worse yet, people have an incentive to sell first. If you wait to long before selling, the market will have already gone down and take with it the value of your investment.

$50,000 may not sound like a lot of money to some as a reason to pull out of the market, but that assumes the person "only" has $1,000,000 in the market. It also takes for granted that the market will not crash from other people trying to avoid the tax increase. Keep in mind, some people have more than $1,000,000,000 in the market; you do the math on that loss. Worse yet, this assumes a 5% increase. What if some are right that a %10 to %15 increase may be in the works?

The fear of this happening can cause it to happen, even if that fear is later seen to be irrational.

There it is; poke holes in it if you would like.

Obama's Race Helped Him - Maybe

If poll are to be believed, the fact that Obama is an African American actually helped him in his presidential bid; maybe. According to CNN (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/04/schneider-race-played-a-role):

"About 20 percent of voters said race was important in how they voted, and those people voted for Obama by an 11-point margin, 55 percent to 44 percent. That means more people voted for Obama because of his race than against him. So much for the "Bradley effect."

And of the 80 percent of voters who said race was not a factor in their decision voted nearly the same way, breaking for Obama 53 percent to 45 percent."

Now for some quick calculations. Among the voters that said race was a factor Obama took 55%. Compare that to the voters that said race was not a factor where Obama took 53%. Fifty-five percent (55%) is higher than 53% by two percentage points. Translation, Obama did better among people that said race was a factor meaning Obama's African American status helped him. It did not hinder his chances as many suggested it would.

Why the "maybe" if the calculations show a clear benefit? First, it requires a belief in polls to an extent that they can not be a few percentage points off. Such a belief is not shared by me. Second, two percentage points is almost certainly within the margin of error even though no such margin is mentioned. Third, from the data I have seen there is no way to tell if any potential real difference is because Obama is black or because he is not white. There is something to be said about novelty in a race, and people may have voted for Obama not because he is black, but because he was not a white male. That being the case, any non-white-male candidate would have taken the same margin (assuming no additional bias against their group).

One last takeaway; this margin, if real, does not appear to be enough to have swayed the election. Obama still would have one had he received no preference from people who believed race was a factor.

Chuck Schumer on the Fairness Doctrine

If Schumer has clout in the composition of the Fairness Doctrine, it looks like the print media and the web will get a pass. A cynical person might point out that the news mediums getting a pass are the ones that tend to be dominated by liberals. That same person may point out that the main target of the legislation, talk radio, tends to be dominated by conservatives.

The logic worries me almost as much as the concept. Namely, if the government regulates pornography it should regulate political speech. Schumer - "You can't say government hands off in one area to a commercial enterprise but you are allowed to intervene in another; that's not consistent." Is he really saying that if you believe in the regulation of pornography you have to accept the regulation of political speech? The same logic suggests that if the government is allowed to regulate anything, they are allowed to regulate everything. If Schumer is serious about the choice between regulating both pornography and free speech, or deregulating both, I say bring on the porn. I do not believe that both issues are link an hope that the government is capable and willing to deal with them separately.

How can the republicans stop the Fairness Doctrine? It now appears that they will keep enough Senators to maintain a filibuster. It is going to be close, especially if the Democrats can siphon off a few liberal Republicans. The Republicans have to hope that they can keep enough to maintain the filibuster or pick up the support of a few conservative Democrats. Alternatively, they could try and make it over inclusive. If the Republicans can ad print media and the political websites as targets of the bill, that could be enough to kill it. The only other way I see the Republicans blocking this is to take it to the people and get popular opinion against it to such an extent that the Democrats would defect to the Republican side or not bring it up at all.

This will likely be the extent of the Republican play book for at least the next two years; filibuster, attach poison pills, or use popular opinion to counter the Democratic legislative majority. As a significant minority in both houses of congress and without the presidency their is little else they can do.

Video embedded below.

Closing Speeches of The 2008 Campaign

First Up, John McCain's Concession Speech:
(Full transcript available at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/11/john-mccain.html)




Next, Barack Obama Acceptance Speech:
(Full transcript available at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/11/barack-obama.html)

Barack Obama Wins

After nearly two years, the election has come to an end. Barack Obama is the winner. The numbers are not finalized, but Obama will have more then the necessary 270 electoral votes. It also seems almost assured that he will take the popular vote. This is a historic presidential election that has put the first African American into office.

I may disagree with many of his policy's, but I am a firm believer in the democratic process; Barack Obama will be my president. That does not mean for one second that I will not do what ever I can to push the values and policies of conservative principles which I firmly believe in.

For tonight at least, I must put politics aside and congratulate Barack Obama on his historic achievement. It is a shame that his grandmother is not here to see it.

Obama Voter in Pennsylvania Admits Voting Multiple Times

Via the Corner - National Review (http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YWRiMWE5N2Q4NmI3ZmE5Y2Y3ZDQ4NzNmNWNkNTQwZmI=).

Take away quote "I decided to come back and vote a couple times."

Video embedded below.

Google Maps - Election Results (2008)

Update: Map embed not working; link to map -> http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/2008election

I Voted!

I just got back from voting. This is my second presidential election. Voting in New York, the outcome is almost certainly a forgone conclusion, but at least I can help with the popular vote (even though that does not effect who is actually elected).

I got a free coffee from Starbucks for my efforts as well, though I would have voted regardless. Now all their is left to do is see how everyone else voted.

Poll Watchers Removed From Polling Stations in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)?

Via Town Hall (http://townhall.com/blog/g/cf47766b-5a6d-44ab-95e7-ce60631bcadc).

Video embedded below.

Black Panthers Intimidating Voters in Pennsylvania?

Via Hot Air (http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/04/fox-black-panther-poll-intimidation-in-pennsylvania).

Videos embedded below.






Update (11/4/2008 5:50pm) - Video of police confronting the Black Panthers.

Election Day 2008

After a campaign season that has lasted roughly two years, Americans head to the voting booth today to elect their new president, congressman, and many senators. By the end of the day we should (hopefully) know who will lead this country for the next four, two and six years respectively. Let us not only hope for, but actively ensure an impressive turn out of an informed electorate, so that our representative government is indeed representative.

Four years ago, I made a prediction on what would happen this presidential election. As soon as it was confirmed that Bush had won his second term, I turned to my friend Katie (who insistently started her own blog a few days ago at http://KatiesLiberalCorner.blogspot.com [and as you may figure out, we do not agree on almost anything politically]) to make my prediction. I said it would be Giuliani/McCain vs Clinton(Hillary)/Obama and that the Republicans would win. I was right about half each ticket, but flipped the position. By tomorrow the accuracy of the final part of the prediction should be known. Tomorrow I will post my prediction for the next presidential election.

New Troopergate Report Clears Palin of Wrongdoing

A new Troopergate report clears Palin of wrongdoings. Both reports said the was within her rights to fire Walt Monegan (Public Safety Commissioner). This second report said that the first report was wrong to conclude Palin had abused her power. Translation, the first report may have been a political hit job. For more head over to http://www.adn.com/palin/story/577323.html.

Obama Attacks Himself

Via the Weekly Standard (http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/11/obamas_attack_ad_on_himself.asp)

Video embedded below.

Barack Obama's Grandmother (Madelyn Dunham) Has Passed Away

News is breaking on the wires that Barack Obama's Grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has passed away. She has been battling cancer and was known to be very sick. Obama had recently taken some time off the campaign trail to visit her. She was 86.

Our condolences to Obama and his family.

Obama - Tax Increase is "Chump Change"

You can see the question 1:45 (one minute and fourty-five seconds) into the second video at http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598409/20081102/story.jhtml. The "Chump Change" comment can be found just after four minutes into that same video. Hot Air has a transcript and takes issue with the idea that the increase is "Chump Change" by saying (http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/03/well-someones-a-chump); "At $250,000, an additional 3.6% isn’t chump change. It’s an extra $9,000 that goes to the federal government on top of what they already take." My concern goes more toward his mind set on exactly how much money would it have to be to stop being "Chump Change". Four percent is not that much higher then %3.6, does that still qualify? What about %5, %6, %7, %10? I think this mind set allows for increasing the taxation level of the so called "rich" at the same time that the definition of "rich" seems to be sliding to lower and lower value (Berman Post: Tax Cuts For Who -> Down to $120,000?).

Did Obama Flip Off McCain?

Did Obama flip off McCain? You can see in the clip below that Obama seemingly wipes his lip using his middle finger. You may remember a similar incident involving Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary. My vote is for innocent absent minded gesture that did not mean anything.

Video embedded below.

Obama - " Under my Plan of a Cap And Trade System, Electricity Rates Would Necessarily Skyrocket"

In this audio interview, Obama admits that his cap and trade policy would cause energy prices to rise significantly. He argues long term benefits are worth the short term pains. This is another one of those issues that seems to be coming to light in the closing days of this election. Listen to the clip below to decide if you think it is a rational policy and important to you in the election.

Video embedded below.

Obama - Cap And Trade That he Supports Will Bankrupt Coal Plants

In an audio interview Obama seems to be saying that he will bankrupt coal plants by implementing a cap and trade system. Lots of new information seems to be surfacing in the closing days of this election. Listen to the clip below and decide for yourself if this is important or being blown out of proportion.

Video embedded below.

"Spread The Wealth Around" Music Video

Hat tip to Power Line Blog (http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2008/11/021961.php).

Video embedded below.

Obama - "Any And All Appropriate Laws be Followed"

Upon learning about the status of Obama's "Aunti Zeituni", he said that he "believes that any and all appropriate laws be followed". Some are concerned with the language "appropriate laws" in that last quote. The implication being that Obama does not believe certain laws should be followed. That is especially important given the potential Supreme Court nominations he would likely make if elected president.

My inclination is to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on this one. The connection seems to tenuous. It may just be a saying of sorts. Clearly, murder laws are not "appropriate" in a standard illegal immigration type case. He may also be saying that his aunt should not be treated any differently than anyone else in her situation. I am not really reading anything into that quote, but that is just my opinion. Read the opinion at http://althouse.blogspot.com below and make up your own mind.


http://althouse.blogspot.com
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/11/it-was-not-immediately-clear-how.html

"The latest news on Zeituni Onyango -- Obama's "Aunti Zeituni."

UPDATE: AP has this:

A statement given to the AP by Obama's campaign said, "Senator Obama has no knowledge of her status but obviously believes that any and all appropriate laws be followed."

What?

"any and all appropriate laws be followed"

Here's a new quote to exploit, kids. Obama's view of the law is that you only need to follow the "appropriate laws." [AND: Click the "kids" link and consider what I said here before freaking out.)"