January 08, 2008
Yesterday's revelations make it imperative that he leave now.
New e-mails released Tuesday show District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal sent and received racist jokes and strategized with political consultants and colleagues about his re-election campaign on his county e-mail account.Also within the correspondence obtained Tuesday by the Houston Chronicle were numerous sexually explicit images. It was unclear, however, if Rosenthal ever forwarded those files.
The latest batch of 730
e-mails was met with concern by Harris County GOP leaders, who had already successfully pressured him to abandon his re-election bid.
"It's time for Chuck Rosenthal to pack his bags and leave," said county GOP Chairman Jared Woodfill.
Rosenthal declined to comment late Tuesday.
Among e-mails that concerned Woodfill were video clips of nudity and sex acts and a racist joke forwarded by Rosenthal that compares former President Bill Clinton to a black man.
The e-mail says Clinton played the saxophone, smoked marijuana and gets a check from the government each month.
Also included within the e-mails is heavy traffic between Rosenthal and Sam Siegler, Rosenthal's physician and the husband of Kelly Siegler, who is running for district attorney.
Now I don't care about inappropriate jokes, etc, received by Rosenthal. If there is evidence of him sending such stuff, that is problematic, but given some of the crap I receive in my email on a daily basis, I don't feel it necessary to hold him responsible for being on someone's email list. Unless he sends them on, to others, that is really unimportant -- and even if he did, it is more of a sign of low class than anything else.
The problem, however, is the material related to his campaign sent on the county account. That is a violation of the law. It merits criminal prosecution. And as such, it is a basis for Rosenthal leaving immediately. It is why Jared Woodfil has called for his resignation, as well as many others.
But this also reveals why Republicans need to dump Ed Emmett as County Judge (besides the back-room deal that got him the job in the first place).
Emmett said Tuesday he wanted to withhold judgment about the e-mails until he saw them. He said allegations of racism or explicit images on the county e-mail system were more damaging than possible campaigning at the office.
Excuse me? Bad taste is more important than criminal activity by the DA? Are you out of your mind? And there is no demand for Rosenthal's resignation.
Fortunately, we have a candidate for the position of County Judge who gets the matter correct.
Emmett's opponent in the GOP primary said Rosenthal should resign."I am asking the people of Harris County to join me in requesting Chuck Rosenthal's resignation effective immediately," said Charles Bacarisse. "(He) has lost both the public trust and the moral authority required to serve effectively as district attorney of Harris County."
And I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. Rosenthal must resign now.
UPDATE: Ed Emmett now calls for an investigation of Rosenthal. Good God -- isn't it clear that the man needs to go NOW, and for you to issue a demand that he resign (even though the arrogant DA won't comply)? Makes me wonder how serious Emmett really is about ethics reform.
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Where to get them, though. Well, there are places locally, and also online. One of the best of the latter category can be found at MetBoots.com, where they have a great selection of Cowboy Boots in a variety of styles from a number of major manufacturers. So if you need a new pair of Western boots, whether for daily wear or special occasions, drop by and check out the selection. And all orders over $100 are shipped to you for free!
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January 07, 2008
Isn't there something pathetic and embarrassing about this emphasis on shade? And why is a man with a white mother considered to be "black," anyway? Is it for this that we fought so hard to get over Plessy v. Ferguson? Would we accept, if Obama's mother had also been Jewish, that he would therefore be the first Jewish president? The more that people claim Obama's mere identity to be a "breakthrough," the more they demonstrate that they have failed to emancipate themselves from the original categories of identity that acted as a fetter upon clear thought.
It does seem rather interesting that in an age where "multi-racial"has become more and more common a response from Americans of mixed heritage, there is an insistence that Barack Obama be stuffed into one neat little pigeonhole. And more disturbing is the fact that many people find his race to be relevant, and are willing to suspend judgment because of it. We ought to be asking "Is Barack Obama qualified and competent to be President? Is his platform good for America?" Of negligible relevance is the question "Is America ready for a black president?" What is important is not the possibility that Obama will be the first black President -- what matters is whether he is or isn't the best possible president.
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ThatÂ’s why I wish I had known about software that can recover deleted files from any computer! You can recover files youÂ’ll find at http://www.file-saver.com. ItÂ’s definitely something worth having as a precaution against the unintentional deletion of precious data..
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The Garfield County All Hazards Response Team broke down Tom Shiflett's door Friday night and, following a court order, took his son for medical treatment.The doctor's recommendation: Take Tylenol and apply ice to the bruises. The boy was back home a few hours later.
The kid had a fall. His father treated him responsibly, just like parents of my generation would have done. But a single nosy neighbor called an ambulance without bothering to find out what the exact situation was, and touched out a wholesale invasion of the rights of the Shiflett family.
Speaking about the incident from his home in the Apple Tree Park on Monday, Shiflett was very upset. Perhaps most offensive, Shiflett said, was that law enforcement didn't announce there was a warrant before breaking into his home south of New Castle."I would have let them in," he said. "It was traumatic to my children, and it's unnecessary."
His spouse, Tina, and his six of 10 kids who are still at home were shocked at the manner of entry. Tina said law enforcement, wearing masks, broke down their door with a battering ram and pointed guns in her children's faces.
"They didn't need to bash into my home and slam my kids to the floor," Tina said, adding later, "I think they get a kick out of this."
She said law enforcement threatened criminal charges should the family even try to follow Jon or find out where he was taken. Jon was returned hours later, around 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
"In all there was not one shred of evidence found that we had done anything wrong or that Jon had not been properly cared for at home," Tina said.
Oh, and lest there be any doubt that the parents knew what they were doing in the first place, Tom Shiflett is a trained medic who could recognize any danger signs in his son. But that was not sufficient for the paramilitary force that stormed the Shiflett home and kidnapped young Jon under the guise of protecting his health, telling his parents that they were subject to imprisonment if they even attempted to be present while their son was forcibly treated without their consent.
This isn't a case of medical neglect. I've seen those -- indeed, I've actually had to report such cases to the authorities. This is a case of a kid with a bruise being taken by force and ordered to receive the exact care his parents were already providing. Jobs need to be lost over this incident -- and punitive damages awarded.
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The Golden Globes, the ceremony known for getting HollywoodÂ’s awards season off to a rollicking start, will be reduced to a news conference Sunday by the writers strike and will likely draw picket lines and lack star power.Despite the revamped ceremony announced Monday by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Screen Actors Guild said it was encouraging its members to skip the show in support of the two-month walkout by the Writers Guild of America.
“The WGA informed us they will picket the event on Sunday,” the actors guild said in a statement.
Frankly, who cares. Over the years such shows have become increasingly less relevant. More to the point, do we really need hours upon hours of redundant awards shows with thanks being given to friends, faily members and obscure acquaintances from decades earlier in life.
Just send out a press release, and I'll be happy.
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A New Zealand man risked life and limb by dangling upside-down in the sea to take close-up pictures of a circling Great White shark, reports said on Monday.Builder Gary Porter asked friends to hold him by the ankles from their small boat as he dunked his upper body in the water to snap the four-metre predator less than two metres away.
"I just wanted to get some photos of this amazing creature," Porter told Radio New Zealand.
"I've got a few regrets about not hopping in with it and having a good swim with it."
No.
Nuh-uh.
No freakinÂ’ way in hell!
No picture is worth this risk.
Not even one of Heidi Klum naked and smeared with chocolate sauce.
Nothing.
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January 06, 2008
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The Supreme Court, in a case being watched around the world, on Monday hears arguments about whether to ban the lethal three-drug cocktail used in most U.S. executions because it inflicts excruciating pain.The hour-long session marks the first time in more than a century the court has examined a specific method of capital punishment. It comes at a time when the death penalty itself appears to be in retreat in one of the few democracies that still practices it.
Arguments will focus on whether the commonly used lethal injection method violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, but the case has also prompted a wider debate about capital punishment.
* * * The court's ruling, expected by the end of June, could decide if the current lethal drug combination is constitutional or whether states have to come up with alternatives that pose less risk of pain and suffering.
Now it is beyond question that the death penalty is constitutional, as I pointed out the other day in the context of a different case.
And since the Fifth Amendment clearly contemplates and authorizes the use of the death penalty in its provisions related to capital crimes, putting persons in jeopardy of life and requiring due process for the deprivation of life, any ban on executions for non-homicides would be on tenuous constitutional grounds.
The issue, then, is how much pain the criminal is permitted to feel as justice is rendered. And at least two of our major newspapers have made it quite clear that they want the court to impose a standard so high that it would amount to a de facto declaration of unconstitutionality for ANY method of execution.
The New York Times, of course, admits that the clear language of the Constitution authorizing executions does not interfere with its judgment on the issue of the death penalty's constitutionality.
We believe that the death penalty, no matter how it is administered, is unconstitutional and wrong. If a state does execute anyone, it must do so in a way that is humane and does not impose needless suffering. KentuckyÂ’s method does not meet that standard.
The problem, of course, is that this ignores the fact that lethal injection is humane, and that the Constitution does not mandate that criminals not feel any anguish or experience any pain or suffering while justice is delivered. That is true whether or not we are talking about a stint in the county jail or the imposition of the ultimate sanction. the requirement is that the penalty not be "cruel AND unusual" -- and the Supreme Court has said that this means that the method of executions hould not shock the conscience. Frankly, I don't think that your average American (2/3 of whom support the death penalty) is shocked by the notion of a criminal feeling some pain or anguish during execution -- indeed, that they feel some small measure of what they inflicted upon their victims appears to be an appropriate part of the sentence..
But another major newspaper goes even farther in its position on this case. Here are the words of the editorial staff of the Washington Post.
But if capital punishment is to be carried out, it should be done as humanely as possible by a method that causes no pain. Evidence submitted in the Supreme Court case suggests that the current protocol for administering lethal injection cannot meet this standard.
That is, of course, a standard that cannot be met. The inserting of the IV needle itself would constitute cruel and unusual punishment under standard the Washington Post seeks -- never mind that it is performed tens of thousands of times daily in medical facilities around the country.
Now one can argue the efficacy and the desirability of the death penalty. That is, however, a policy question, and one properly left to the states and to Congress. But to cloak abolition of the death penalty in the guise of making it more humane is a constitutional parlour trick that the Supreme Court should reject.
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| Votes | Council link |
|---|---|
| 2 2/3 | The Freddys Seven Soccer Dad |
| 2 | America Derangement Syndrome -- Or, Yes, You Can Call Them Unpatriotic Bookworm Room |
| 1 2/3 | The Best Years of Their Lives: Hollywood and Franklin's War Big Lizards |
| 1 2/3 | Did Bush Get Jamie Lynn Pregnant? Cheat Seeking Missiles |
| 1 | Witness Done With Mirrors |
| 1 | Politics Anonymous Right Wing Nut House |
| 2/3 | Ron Paul Tripped Up On "Meet the Press" Despite Making Good Points The Colossus of Rhodey |
| 2/3 | Primary Scenarios The Glittering Eye |
| 1/3 | The State Department's Unilateral Foreign Policy Wolf Howling |
| 1/3 | Our Wish List For 2008 The Education Wonks |
| Votes | Non-council link |
|---|---|
| 3 | Exploding Myths Treppenwitz |
| 2 | Patterico's Los Angeles Dog Trainer Year in Review 2007 Patterico's Pontifications |
| 1 2/3 | The Wodehouse Primary The Debatable Land |
| 1 1/3 | Ms. Hillary Does Pakistan Power Line |
| 2/3 | Obsession to the Point of Dementia Power Line (2) |
| 2/3 | Bennie Bhutto Firedoglake |
| 2/3 | Loser of the Year: Pelosi Don Surber |
| 2/3 | 2007: A Global Assessment of the Confrontation American Thinker |
| 2/3 | In the Name of the Father... Newsweek |
| 1/3 | Dallas Morning News Names "The Illegal Immigrant" as their 2007 Texan of the Year Webloggin |
| 1/3 | Thoughts on 2007 Dodgeblogium |
This is just one of those weeks where my post didn't make an impact with the other members of the council. Maybe that is because i was dealing with an issue that was more local than national, and because I didn't give a lot of background. Well, maybe we'll do better next time.
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But in recent years the internet has opened up a whole new world for those interested in gambling. Online casinos have sprung up all over, and are a big business. For example, you can find a great many online casinos at USAOnlineCasinos.org, which is a giant directory of online casino sites.
Of course, it is important that you gamble responsibly if you are going to gamble, and that you seek help if that urge to gamble is controlling you rather than you being in control of it. But if one acts responsibly in choosing an online casino and the amount of gambling one does, it is really just a harmless pleasure.
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In honor of that, I'd like to offer a favorite of mine -- maybe a little less solemn that it is often presented, but something that reminds us of the joy of the revelation of God in the person of a child, the event that has been part and parcel of the season which now comes to a close.
Guide is to thy perfect light, Lord.
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THE Dutch were debating the limits of freedom of expression last week after an artist who photographed gay men wearing masks of the prophet Muhammad was forced into hiding and her work removed from a museum exhibit.Speaking on the telephone from an unspecified location in the Netherlands last week, the artist, an Iranian exile who goes by the pseudonym of Sooreh Hera, said she had been threatened with “execution”. She accused the director of the municipal museum in The Hague of cowardice for caving in to Muslim extremists.
Her story is a reminder of the tensions that have put the Netherlands and other European countries on the front line, sending dozens of people threatened by extremists into hiding since 2004, when a Dutch film-maker was murdered on the street and his collaborator driven into exile.
This leaves Hera, 34, in no doubt that she is in real danger. “They said to me, ‘We’re going to burn you naked or put a bullet in your mouth’,” she said, referring to menacing e-mails.
“They say, ‘Now you are locked in your home and you cannot go out any more’.”
She said that by photographing gay Iranian exiles in masks of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, and Ali, his son-in-law, she had wanted to expose a “hypocritical” attitude towards homosexuality in countries such as Iran, where men can be hanged for homosexual conduct.
“They condemn homosexuality but in countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia it is common for married men to maintain relations with other men,” said Hera. “Works of art can be provocative. It is not an artist’s job just to paint flowers. Art should shine a light on social issues.”
The photographs were part of an extensive collection of images by Hera of mostly Dutch gay men. Another part of her exhibit was a video featuring hard rock music and images of Iranian clerics interspersed with pictures of naked men.
Wim van Krimpen, director of the museum, initially praised Hera’s collection of photographs as “exceptional”. Last month, however, he announced that the masked men could not be included in the forthcoming exhibition because “certain people in our society might perceive it as offensive”.
Simple question -- Would this museum director have pulled an exhibit of Serrano's "Piss Christ" because “certain people in our society might perceive it as offensive”?
If not, why does he privilege Islam -- other than the fact that a subset of its followers is likely to engage in murderous violence?
And if such is the case, dare we tolerate Islam, granting it the same rights and privileges as other religions , in our societies and communities?
I know that is a painful, quite illiberal question to ask. But if Islam really is different, is it not essential to a free society that we treat it differently?
For that matter, the same question is quite important to ask of our Canadian neighbors as well. After all, the "human right" of certain groups not to be offended is rapidly displacing the internationally recognized human right to freedom of speech.
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January 05, 2008
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The New Hampshire Republican Party dropped their affiliation with a Republican debate sponsored by Fox News tomorrow night because they have limited the number of candidates that can participate.“The first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary serves a national purpose by giving all candidates an equal opportunity on a level playing field," said Republican chair Fergus Cullen. "Only in New Hampshire do lesser known, lesser funded underdogs have a fighting chance to establish themselves as national figures."
The Fox debate is excluding Texas Congressman Ron Paul even though he polls higher in New Hampshire and has raised significantly more money, and is campaigning more in New Hampshire than Fred Thompson who is invited.
Quite honestly, I had not had a problem with the decision to drop Ron Paul until the results came in on Thursday. If a 10% showing in Iowa is not sufficient to get you a place on the platform, then FoxNews should also drop Rudy Giuliani from the debate because he has made no significant effort to campaign in New Hampshire and finished in sixth place, with a pathetic 3.4% showing in that state's caucuses. At this point, any organization sponsoring a debate that excludes Ron Paul while including Rudy is not operating in a principled fashion.
On the other hand, there is solid reason for excluding Duncan Hunter, so I disagree with the NHGOP's call for his inclusion.
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The Malaysian government has reiterated that non-Muslims cannot use the word "Allah," sparking concern Friday among Christians who use it to refer to God in their Malay-language Bible and other publications.Abdullah Zin, the de facto minister for Islamic affairs, told reporters Thursday that the Cabinet is of the view that "Allah" refers to the Muslim God and can only be used by Muslims, who comprise about 60 percent of Malaysia's population.
"The use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims may arouse sensitivity and create confusion among Muslims in the country," Abdullah said.
Do you see that, folks? Allah refers ONLY to the Muslim God, not the God of the Christians and the Jews. That would mean that Muslims themselves are declaring that their Allah and our God are two different beings. And since this is coming not from a government generally seen as extreme, but is usually described as moderate and relatively secular, it cannot be argued that this is a voice of extremists who have hijacked the faith.
Of course, Malaysia has a history of allowing all sorts of atrocities to take place in the name of Islam.
More at Michelle Malkin
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Take, for instance, his current opinion piece. He makes this assessment of the definitional problem in discussions of liberalism and conservatism, one that I cannot disagree with in the least.
It is virtually impossible to debate this philosophy with its adherents because it is such a dark and negative ideology no one will ever admit it to be their belief. A Wikipedia search will tell you liberalism emphasizes individual rights, equality of opportunity, and guarantees freedom of thought and speech, all venerated attributes of our Constitution, and all attributes that adherents who lean politically to the right want to conserve.Further investigation of Wikipedia and the term Conservatism will reveal a liberalÂ’s view of conservatism; that it has no ideology, but that it is only tied inflexibly to outmoded ideologies of the past. I suppose that is accurate if you believe Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Adams, Franklin, and others, gave us the outmoded ideologies of freedom of speech, religion, and the tumultuous inalienable rights that no man or government can claim authority over.
Exactly.
Those who read me here will note that I frequently argue in favor of individual rights, especially when they are violated in the name of the “group right” not to be offended. Similarly, I’ve argued rather stridently in favor of speech which liberals seek to shut down in the name of political correctness. I support the equal opportunity for every individual, which means that preferences based upon race, sex, or other attributes should be rejected as contrary to the American value of treating each individual as an individual. Indeed, according to the definition of liberalism cited by Pontillo, I would undeniably be a liberal – but no liberal would ever confuse my positions with their collectivist claptrap. Neither would they think of Jim as a liberal, despite his defense of those same values.
Jim doesn’t hold his fire when he sees a moving target. And I don’t agree with him on everything. But I find his writing to be stirring and logical, with a principled outlook on the world. I’ll be looking in on him from time to time – and I encourage you to do so as well.
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Authorities raided the offices of an influential Democratic donor on Friday, prompting accusations by the donor's attorneys that the raid was politically motivated.The state attorney general's office said it was assisting the Nueces County district attorney in the criminal investigation of Mauricio Celis, 36, who has given money to major Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton and is the subject of numerous ongoing lawsuits and charges.
And this is unrelated to the earlier charges that were handed down by a grand jury in Nueces County.
The raid was unrelated to Celis' November indictments by a Nueces County grand jury on four charges, including perjury and holding himself out as a lawyer.
And while Celis and his representatives may want to make this into a political vendetta, it isn't -- Carlos Valdez, the prosecutor in Nueces County who is spearheading the investigation and who sought the earlier charges, is a Democrat.
I'm curious -- is "Mauricio Celis" Spanish for "Norman Hsu"?
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It's dust and mud
It's the roar of a Sunday crowd
It's the white in his knuckles
The gold in the buckle
He'll win the next go 'round
It's boots and chaps
It's cowboy hats
It's spurs and latigo
It's the ropes and the reins
And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo
Can you tell I am getting really excited that rodeo is approaching here in Houston? But as much as I love the hometown show, There is one I want to see even more -- the National Finals Rodeo, which comes around every December. After all, the NFR features the best of the best in every event.
The National Finals Rodeo is that is held in Las Vegas Nevada every year over a ten-day stretch. The top money earners every year from each rodeo event are invited to compete for the title of world champion. These events are bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. The competition is always intense, and the animal athletes are also tops in their class, not just the cowboys and cowgirls.
I really enjoy watching the National Finals Rodeo on television, however, would really like to go some December. National Finals Rodeo tickets can be a challenge to get on short notice, however. IÂ’m told you need to reserve them long before the rodeo actually starts. IÂ’m also told, though, that tickets can be found through different ticket agencies if you canÂ’t make plans to attend early enough to order tickets for yourself.
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The philosophy of political correctness is now firmly entrenched over here, too, and at its core is a refusal to look the truth squarely in the face, unpalatable as it may be.Political correctness is about denial, usually in the weasel circumlocutory jargon which distorts and evades and seldom stands up to honest analysis.
It comes in many guises, some of them so effective that the PC can be difficult to detect. The silly euphemisms, apparently harmless, but forever dripping to wear away common sense - the naivete of the phrase "a caring force for the future" on Remembrance poppy trays, which suggests that the army is some kind of peace corps, when in fact its true function is killing.
The continual attempt to soften and sanitise the harsh realities of life in the name of liberalism, in an effort to suppress truths unwelcome to the PC mind; the social engineering which plays down Christianity, demanding equal status for alien religions.
The selective distortions of history, so beloved by New Labour, denigrating Britain's past with such propaganda as hopelessly unbalanced accounts of the slave trade, laying all the blame on the white races, but carefully censoring the truth that not a slave could have come out of Africa without the active assistance of black slavers, and that the trade was only finally suppressed by the Royal Navy virtually single-handed.
In schools, the waging of war against examinations as "elitist" exercises which will undermine the confidence of those who fail - what an intelligent way to prepare children for real life in which competition and failure are inevitable, since both are what life, if not liberal lunacy, is about.
The author, George MacDonald Fraser, spoke of the ills that PC had inflicted upon the UK, but was equally scathing in his view of political correctness in America. And more to the point, such political correctness is more rampant here. If one watches British television shows, you are at least still allowed to laugh at the non-PC -- in this country it will likely get you sent to a reeducation camp sensitivity course, especially if you are a student on a college campus.
Fraser passed away on January 2, but his writings and movies live on.
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There are lots of websites which offer these prepaid phone cards online. One of such website is TheRichCom.com. They have some great values. If you really need of a phone card, I would recommend that you check out the fantastic deals that they offer on their page. They carry over 800+ phone cards offering low rates. Just purchase the card online and and begin using it immediately!
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Warner Bros. Entertainment said Friday it will release movie discs only in the Blu-ray format, becoming the latest studio to reject the rival HD DVD technology and further complicating the high-definition landscape for consumers.Warner Bros., owned by Time Warner Inc., was the only remaining studio releasing high-definition DVDs in both formats.
It is the fifth studio to back Blu-ray, developed by Sony Corp. Only two support the HD DVD format, developed by Toshiba Corp.
Both formats deliver crisp, clear high-definition pictures and sound. But they are incompatible with each other, and neither plays on older DVD players, which means consumers seeking top-quality playback face a dilemma.
Warner said it decided to go with Blu-ray because consumers have shown a stronger preference for that format than HD DVD.
"The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger," Warner Bros. chairman and Chief Executive Barry Meyer said in a statement.
"We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers and, most importantly, consumers," the statement said.
Market-share seems to have settled the matter, especially Since some major retailers have indicated that they are Blu-ray only distributors. And given that a Blu-ray disc holds 20GB more data than an HD-DVD I'm not surprised that people would prefer that format. For that matter, it probably spells the end of the "Bonus Feature" disc, since that material can likely be incorporated on the same disc as the original movie.
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January 04, 2008
But the internet has opened up a whole new world of gaming for those interested in that activity. Online casinos are springing up all over, and are a big business. For example, you can find a great many USA online casinos at USAPlayersWelcome.com, which is a giant directory of online casino sites.
Of course, it is important that one gamble responsibly, and that one seek help if that urge to gamble is out of control. But for most folks, a trip to the casino – real or online – is a harmless pleasure.
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The U.S. Supreme Court Friday added another dramatic death-penalty case to its docket, agreeing to decide whether a Louisiana man can be put to death for raping his young daughter.The case joins an appeal set for argument Monday where the Supreme Court will decide whether lethal-injection procedures used in many criminal executions violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. The lethal injection appeal, in Baze v. Rees, spurred what has become a de facto nationwide halt on death penalty executions until the appeal is decided.
In contrast, the Louisiana rape case for now may affect the fate of just one man -- Patrick Kennedy. His attorneys say he is the only person set to be put to death for rape in the last 40 years.
Nevertheless, the appeal gives the Supreme Court the chance to revisit whether the death penalty can be used for crimes that don't involve someone's death. In recent years, five states have enacted laws allowing the death penalty for child rape and nine additional states and the federal government have seldom-used laws that allow death penalty convictions in certain instances that don't involve murder.
There is certainly nothing in the Constitution that requires the death penalty to be limited to cases of murder. Indeed, any attempt by the courts to so limit the imposition of capital punishment to those involving a fatality would be a gross act of judicial arrogance that would be the best of all possible cases for the impeachment for judges for official misconduct while in office. After all, the Eighth Amendment specifically only bars "cruel and unusual punishment". And since the Fifth Amendment clearly contemplates and authorizes the use of the death penalty in its provisions related to capital crimes, putting persons in jeopardy of life and requiring due process for the deprivation of life, any ban on executions for non-homicides would be on tenuous constitutional grounds.
Besides – can you think of a more fitting punishment for raping a child ?
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January 03, 2008
What is surprising, though, is the margins and the positioning of candidates below the winners.
Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, a first-term Democratic senator trying to become the nationÂ’s first African-American president, rolled to victory in the Iowa caucuses on Thursday night, lifted by a record turnout of voters who embraced his promise of change.
* * * On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas who was barely a blip on the national scene just two months ago, defeated Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, delivering a serious setback to Mr. RomneyÂ’s high-spending campaign and putting pressure on Mr. Romney to win in New Hampshire next Tuesday.
I expected an Obama win in Iowa for months, and for at least the last three weeks have seen the handwriting on the wall for Huckabee. The real question is, therefore what the results below show us.
Mitt's loss by 9 percentage points is rather disheartening to me. His strategy has been to win both Iowa and New Hampshire to start himself on the path to victory. Now New Hampshire is a "must win" for him -- and South Carolina becomes critical as well. But as has been pointed out, Reagan lost Iowa in 1980.
Fred Thompson's finish is important, because it does keep him alive -- maybe. I wonder, though, how much yesterday's wihdrawal rumor hurt him -- and benefited Huckabee.
McCain lives to fight another day -- especially if he gets that endorsement from Fred that was rumored and denied yesterday.
Ron Paul impressed me with a 10% finish. However, I don't think he can sustain that sort of finish in states with primaries, where registering one's preference is much easier than in a caucus.
Rudy Giuliani was even more anemic than I expected. Is his national support this weak, or is it a sign of how he was hurt by ignoring Iowa?
Democrats:
A virtual tie between John Edwards and Hillary Clinton. Does this signal that Hillary is not the odds-on favorite that the media has been painting her as for the last year or so? Could 2009 find her still in the US Senate, having watched the race as an also-ran? Maybe, but I don't think so. More likely, though, is this being a much tougher fight than expected.
Richardson. Sigh! I'm mystified why the Dems don't like this guy with his record of accomplishment. Does this showing mean he won't even make it on to the national ticket as VP?
The rest -- I've commented on the two withdrawals. My guess is that Kucinich will stay in until the bitter end -- what does he have to lose, having surrendered his dignity long ago?
New Hampshire is Tuesday -- should be interesting.
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As I went to bed last night, I saw a couple of stories about the demise of the Chris Dodd campaign.
Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut abandoned his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after a poor showing in Iowa's precinct caucuses."Tonight I am withdrawing from the presidential race but let me assure you, we are not ending this race with our heads hanging but with our heads held high," Dodd told about 100 supporters here.
"I am not going anywhere," he added, to loud cheers. "I will be fighting for the United States."
When one reads his record of accomplishments, one ought to be mystified why this candidacy never took off -- if the process in place is designed to choose the best qualified candidate.
And then this morning I discovered the second casualty of Iowa, Joe Biden.
One does have to wonder how long Bill Richardson has left in this race -- which is too bad, because on paper he has the best experience for the job.
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Best of all, this isn’t the same old thing – no fundraising by selling candy bars, popcorn, or magazines. From long experience I know that such fundraisers are a real hassle one to do. I mean, don’t you hate being hit up by your co-workers because their child’s third grade class, church youth group, Little League team or Scout troop is trying to make some money? You sort of feel obliged to buy something, even if it isn’t something you want.
But at Shoutback, youÂ’ve got a really great way to do fundraising, because all you have to do is you go to Shoutback.com. Once you are there, you will create your account and start putting the word out in the online community. Then you can raise fund for local groups within community.
Shoutback also has an auction system that makes that form of fundraising easy for everyone, too.
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A child custody standoff between Britney Spears and employees of ex-husband Kevin Federline lasted three hours and ended with an intoxicated Spears releasing the children before she was carted away in an ambulance. home Thursday night.Foxnews.com have confirmed that the Los Angeles Police Department was called to Spears' home to investigate a "custody dispute" around 8 p.m. Pacific Time.
Federline's bodyguards intended to collect their two toddlers at 7p.m. but Britney reportedly refused to hand them back.
Officers were called to the home around 8 p.m., and the 26-year-old singer turned over the children around 10:50 p.m., Officer Jason Lee, a police spokesman, told City News Service.
At around midnight Britney was wheeled out in a gurney, following hearsays that "someone" inside the home was in a very hysterical, possibly intoxicated state. Police officer Jason Lee told the Associated Press that no injuries were reported yet Spears was believed to be under a the influence of an "unknown substance". The mother-of-two has since been placed on "medical hold" in an unknown location and is awaiting medical evaluation.
Let's see what we have here.
Interference with child custody arrangements.
A stand-off with police.
Emergency detox/mental health treatment.
Can anyone really argue that this woman is not a danger to those kids? Is there any basis for suggesting that they are safe in her custody? Heck, one has to ask whether Spears is not a danger to herself or others and in need of longer-term commitment for her obvious psychological problem
Closing question -- am I the only person shocked to conclude that Kevin Federline is really the better parent out of this pair?
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However, varicose veins are not at all funny -- in fact, they can be painful. While usually not something that has serious medical consequences, they are unsightly and can lead to other issues as well.
So what sort of varicose vein treatments are available? Non-surgical treatments include sclerotherapy. The traditional surgical treatment has been vein stripping, and newer techniques include radiofrequency ablation.
Want to learn more? Well, at VeinDirectory.org, you can find out all about varicose veins, treatment options, and a directory of reputable physicians who can help with treatment of the condition. If you are looking for help with varicose veins, you should really check out the site.
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A day after withdrawing from the District Attorney's race, Chuck Rosenthal said this afternoon he is considering refiling his candidacy.In his second term, Rosenthal said he had not discussed the matter with Republican leaders. He wouldn't comment beyond that, saying that he is mulling re-entering the race before the deadline expires Friday at 6 p.m.
He also wouldn't comment on whether he supports Assistant District Attorney Kelly Siegler who announced earlier today that she wants his job. Siegler said in her anouncement that she wouldn't have considered running if Rosenthal hadn't dropped out late Wednesday.
Rosenthal has had several changes of heart since a political scandal over intimitate e-mails he sent to his administrative secretary erupted last week. At first, he defiantly vowed to seek re-election despite local Republican leaders' calls for him to step aside. He reversed field late Wednesday by submitting a one-sentence letter to the part chairman requesting his name be taken off the primary ballot. Less than 24 hours later, Rosenthal now says he's not sure what he wants to do.
I am, to say the least, stunned. And quite frankly, Rosenthal's antics only confirm his unfitness for the nomination and continuance in office. It would be nice to see him act like a real man, own up to his mistakes, and accept the consequences -- namely that the Republican Party in this county wants nothing to do with him.
As of this moment, the GOP has two good candidates for DA in Kelly Siegler and Jim Leitner. I suspect that we may have one or two more by close of business tomorrow. But if Rosenthal does attempt to reenter the race, we will also clearly have one unfit candidate on the ballot.
Chuck, you are dead in the water. Stay dead.
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Frozen Iguanas Fall From Florida Trees
Do you think this is a joke?
![0_61_frozen_iguana[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/0_61_frozen_iguana[1].jpg)
It's raining iguanas in South Florida.A remarkable cold snap that brought temperatures in the mid-30s to the Miami area Thursday morning also brought lizards falling out of trees at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne, the Miami Herald reported.
"We have found dozens on the bike path after a major cold snap," said park manager Robert Yero. "When they warm up in the sun, they come back to life."
So great is this trend of global warming that these poor reptiles are frozen into torpidity in America's semi-tropical vacation and retirement paradise. And while they are a non-native species that has wreaked havoc with the local ecosystem, that doesn't negate the obvious conclusion – namely that there is clearly no increase in winter temperatures.
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January 02, 2008
Helicopter Accident Attorneys provides many informative news articles from around the nation and a resource center geared toward those looking for in-depth information on helicopter accidents. The resource center is user-friendly with an easy-to-use interface. The site also provides statistical data and a 24-hour resource line to assist you with any questions. So if you need a helicopter accident attorney, check out HelicopterAccidentAttorney.com.
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Several Republican officials close to Fred ThompsonÂ’s presidential campaign said they expect the candidate will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in ThursdayÂ’s Iowa caucus.ThompsonÂ’s campaign, which last spring and summer was generating fevered anticipation in the media and with some Republican activists, has never ignited nationally, and there are no signs of a late spark happening here in Iowa, where even a third-place finish is far from assured.
This reality—combined with a fundraising drought—left well-connected friends and advisers of Thompson Wednesday evening predicting that he will pull the plug on hype and hope before the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.
According to sources, anything less than a solid third-place finish will lead the former Law & Order star to leave the race he entered to such great fanfare. And if this does happen, look for an endorsement of Senator John McCain on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, potentially boosting the candidacy of the former POW and perennial loose cannon, who has been making a strong move in the polls in that state.
All of this, of course, stands in sharp contrast with reports coming from some other sources, which show Thompson surging in Iowa.
The latest news from Iowa? According to Zogby’s latest—and I quote: “Sen. Fred Thompson…has seen a late-breaking surge.”
But is that surge enough, especially if Thompson has fallen short of his fundraising goals for the final quarter of 2007? Frankly, I don't hold out much hope for the Thompson campaign accomplishing the goal of a strong third-place finish. After entering with such great fanfare, Thompson just fizzled.
I'll let Mr. Curtis Mayfield have the last word on this one.
UPDATE: Well, maybe not.
The rumor that Fred Thompson will quit the Republican presidential race if he finishes poorly in Iowa is not only false: it rises to the level of a political dirty trick aimed at reducing Thompson-backersÂ’ turnout in tonightÂ’s Iowa caucuses.The story, which began as a rumor and caught fire as a result of a piece in todayÂ’s Politico, said that Thompson was likely to quit after Iowa if he did poorly there, and might endorse Sen. John McCain before next weekÂ’s New Hampshire primary. The article painted a glum, almost resigned mood among ThompsonÂ’s inner circle.
Thompson and his top campaign advisor Rich Galen both denied the storyÂ’s claims today.
* * * According to one report, Thompson’s top campaign advisor Rich Galen said, “I'm a Republican official in the Thompson campaign, and I'm denying it." Galen is also reported to have said that no one inside the campaign was a source for the story. "I can't put enough adjectives in front of the 'deny' to accurately describe how vehemently I'm denying the story." That, and other statements by Thompson himself today, leaves the Politico’s story out in the cold.
Sources told me that ThompsonÂ’s campaign was already moving elements to South Carolina where they expect to do very well. If Thompson finished at the bottom of the pack in Iowa -- which seems very unlikely -- he would have to reassess his overall chances. But that seems unlikely. And Iowa is not a determinative race for the Republicans. It is very likely to be of lesser importance than a host of others, as John McCain, Rudy Giuliani -- and Thompson -- are betting. A candidate could easily go from a defeat there to win the nomination.
Personally, this makes me very happy to hear. We Republicans need Fred Thompson in the race. He provides one more ideological configuration for voters to choose from -- and more to the point, seems to be every Republican's second favorite candidate if they are not a FredHead.
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The GreenIQ.com Quiz takes the notion of the “carbon footprint and explains it in a straightforward, measurable way. Once you take the test, custom tips will be sent to your email address each week, tailored to your green interests. These are intended for easy use and simple integration into your life.
Can one person really make that much of a difference? Does turning off the faucet while shaving really have much impact? Hoe important is driving a hybrid to improving the environment? How about running the sprinkler for the kids to play in? HereÂ’s how to find out how green you really are!
The site also has a great deal of information and resources about reducing waste and becoming more environmentally conscious. There are ideas for green gifts, tips on what to look for when buying produce, and even suggestions about how to green up your beauty routine. The quiz is fun and provides very useful information. That is true even if you are like me, not a believer in global warming but still concerned about ensuring a clean and healthy environment for future generations.
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Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal pulled the plug on his re-election campaign after all Wednesday at the climax of a day of flip-flopping, intrigue, political pressure and clock management.The local Republican Party officially accepted his one-sentence withdrawal letter three minutes before the deadline for removing candidates from the March 4 primary ballot — and three days after Rosenthal had defiantly vowed to run and win despite a scandal over intimate e-mails he sent to his executive secretary, Kerry Stevens.
The action means Harris County, the nation's leading jurisdiction for sentencing murderers to death by injection, will get a new chief prosecutor next January after eight years of service by Rosenthal. He plans to serve the remainder of his current term through 2008, officials said.
Now this withdrawal triggers a somewhat obscure provision of state election law, which extends the filing deadline for office until Friday (it had been set to close at 6:00PM on Wednesday). This will give candidates time to file to run against the one other individual who did file, Houston attorney (and former ADA) Jim Leitner, who came in third in the 2000 primary won by Rosenthal. At least one other candidate from that race, former judge Pat Lykos, is considering a run -- as are several ADAs from Rosenthal's staff.
But it appears that there may be something more than the disapproval of the public at work in this decision.
Minutes after Rosenthal's announcement withdrawing from the race, a federal judge scheduled a hearing for this month where Rosenthal will likely be asked to explain how more than 2,000 of his e-mails got deleted over a weekend. Lawyers for the plaintiffs in a civil rights lawsuit against the county have asked U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt to either sanction Rosenthal or hold him in contempt.In a sworn deposition last month, Rosenthal denied any wrongdoing.
The missing e-mails were later salvaged and given to the plaintiffs' lawyers, records show, but Rosenthal's information technology director couldn't assure them that no e-mails were overlooked.
This issue alone is reason enough for Rosenthal to be rejected as a candidate. More to the point, this issue could well lead o his being disbarred or even jailed . There is no place for such Clintonesque behavior on the part of a public official, and I believe that Rosenthal's resignation may be in order, depending upon the evidence brought to light in this upcoming hearing.
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Cash for Structured Settlement
Drop by and see their other great blog quizzes -- and check out the blog as well.
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![freefouad_small[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/freefouad_small[1].jpg)
They say that Fouad al-Farhan is not actually under arrest, but merely being "interrogated."
However, that "interrogation" has been underway for three weeks now.
Saudi Arabia's most popular blogger, Fouad al-Farhan, has been detained for questioning, an Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed Monday. It was the first known arrest of an online critic in the kingdom.Farhan, 32, who used his blog to criticize corruption and call for political reform, was detained "for violating rules not related to state security," according to the spokesman, Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, responding to repeated requests for comment with a brief cellphone text message.
Farhan's Dec. 10 arrest was reported last week on the Internet and has been condemned by bloggers in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Bahrain. The Saudi news media have not yet reported the arrest, but more than 200 bloggers in the kingdom have criticized Farhan's detention, and a group of supporters have set up a Free Fouad Web site.
Farhan, who was educated in the United States and owns a computer programming company, was arrested at his office in Jiddah and then brought home, where his laptop was confiscated, said his wife, who spoke on condition that her name not be published to protect her privacy. "They arrested him because of his blog. I haven't seen him since. We don't know where he is," she said.
Shortly before his detention, he sent the following email to associates
I was told that there is an official order from a high-ranking official in the Ministry of the Interior to investigate me. They will pick me up anytime in the next 2 weeks.The issue that caused all of this is because I wrote about the political prisoners here in Saudi Arabia and they think IÂ’m running a online campaign promoting their issue. All what I did is wrote some pieces and put side banners and asked other bloggers to do the same.
he asked me to comply with him and sign an apology. IÂ’m not sure if IÂ’m ready to do that. An apology for what? Apologizing because I said the government is liar when they accused those guys to be supporting terrorism?
To expect the worst which is to be jailed for 3 days till we write good feedback about you and let u go
there may be no jail and only apologizing letter. But, if itÂ’s more than three days, it should be out. I donÂ’t want to be forgotten in jail.
We Americans often take the freedom to speak and write for granted.
Cases like this one should remind us that such rights are not respected in many parts of the world. Each of us who blogs needs to forcefully defend those rights.
To express your dismay over Fouad al-Farhan's detention, write
Ambassador Adel A. Al-Jubeir
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037
You may also call the Embassy at (202) 342-3800.
There is also a contact form on the Embassy's website.
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