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Gunships Blast Pakistani Madrassa; Faqir Mohammad rumored titzup
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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Howie Dean calls GOP the White Party
42 seconds in
Yeah! Tell it, Brutha Dean! Tell it!
Posted by: Beavis || 08/15/2008 16:07 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Gee, I'm glad we aren't going to make race an issue in this election.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 16:36 Comments || Top||

#2  This from Howard Dean, probably the Whitest Man in America...
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/15/2008 16:37 Comments || Top||

#3  ...from the whitest state in America! I'm sure it's just a coincidence...
Posted by: Raj || 08/15/2008 17:07 Comments || Top||

#4  Gotta admit, the man's an expert on white...
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/15/2008 17:09 Comments || Top||

#5  Hip Hop Howie. I'm guessing he has not been back to VT in awhile.
Posted by: regular joe || 08/15/2008 17:09 Comments || Top||

#6  That would make Dems the Red Party, as in 1917.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 08/15/2008 17:32 Comments || Top||

#7  Anguper, precisely, heh.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 17:41 Comments || Top||

#8  This coming from the most racist party in America besides the KKK...

I'm buried in irony.
Posted by: DarthVader || 08/15/2008 18:59 Comments || Top||

#9  OK, he's probably got a point. The majority of the GOP is white, as they should be. The Dems have made no bones about their general dislike for whites, seeing them as people of privilege, and have conditioned their political positioning to reflect that fact. Consequently they draw the minority vote in overwhelming percentages.

Now, with that understood, why SHOULDN'T white people have some political representation? Granted, it's not very GOOD representation, seeing as how the United States continues to undergo an unwanted, majority-injuring, deliberately caused racial/ethnic shift unprecedented in history, but it's better than what the Dems offer them.

The Dems started that racial shift, which has been and will increasingly be to the disadvantage of whites, knowing that it WOULD hurt whites. They lied about it at the time, however. Had they told the truth about what the results of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act would be, it wouldn't have had the slightest hope of passage. Bobby Kennedy's lies in front of the Senate committee investigating this Act are particularly incredible. One reads them now and is just awed by the sheer magnitude of his effrontery. It was Baghdad Bob caliber lying.

Democrats privately glory in the ethnic change in this country. They see diluting the white population as "saving" the US from fascism and were overjoyed in the 70's at the prospect of getting past the "tipping point" where minorities would start forcing differences in elections. All these things are matters of historical fact and can be found in the LBJ Administration Papers at the LBJ Library in Austin. Look for the history of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act.

Given these facts, it is perfectly justified to consider the Democrats as anti-American, anti-white socialists/communists, and Howard Dean and Hillary Clinton as race traitors. Whites aren't in the habit, as certain other ethnic groups are, of using the term "race traitor" as a pejorative, so they won't get called that in this election. Just because they won't get stuck with that label doesn't mean it's not deserved.

Most white Americans know this, too. That's why no Democratic candidate for President has received the majority of the white vote since 1964. It doesn't take a crystal ball to see that at some point there will be an opening for a nationalist candidate who runs against the left specifically on the grounds of stopping anti-white racism. We draw closer to that opening every day.

Watch what happens in Britain. When you see the BNP really start making political headway, figure we're not far behind.
Posted by: Jolutch Mussolini7800 || 08/15/2008 19:24 Comments || Top||

#10  Any comment from Robert "Sheets" Byrd?
Posted by: DMFD || 08/15/2008 19:49 Comments || Top||

#11  #6 That would make Dems the Red Party, as in 1917.

Fuxking *Beautifully* said!! :)
Posted by: Red Dawg || 08/15/2008 19:51 Comments || Top||

#12  Great points JM7800....I've said it before - if you consider yourself a patriotic white hetero male that pays taxes and you vote dem at the national level -- then you are a moron. Period.
Posted by: Hupusong Hatfield aka Broadhead6 || 08/15/2008 21:36 Comments || Top||

#13  The funny thing is -- from the Democratic point of view, at least -- that as immigrants and other minorities join the mainstream, getting educations and becoming middle class*, they tend to become more conservative and vote more Republican. Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, Orientals... as they move away from Democratic enclaves and out to the suburbs they vote more like their neighbors than the labels put on them by the Census Bureau. It isn't really about Red and Blue states any more, if it ever was; it's about those who worked hard for what they have, versus those who want things given to them, whether income or art galleries.

Look at the Republican candidates -- here at Rantburg there were calls for McCain to pick an African-American as vice president (Michael Steele, I think), a converted Catholic Indian-American (Bobby Jindal), a woman or two (the current governor of Alaska comes to mind, an African-American former academic (Condoleeza Rice). It is looking like a distinct possibility that McCain's vice presidential pick will be the Democratic candidate for that position in the last presidential election, the Jewish liberal hawk Senator Joe Lieberman.

Former Governor Dean is uttering a vain hope rather than describing reality, sadly typical for those the Democratic party has been choosing for its leadership in recent years.

*Oh, for goodness sake! We all know that becoming a skilled craftsman takes a rigorous education. Surely you didn't think I was silly enough to think only those with university degrees were educated?
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/15/2008 22:45 Comments || Top||

#14  ION DRUDGEREPORT - NO WAY!? Barack Obama may consider JOHN KERRY as VEEP???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 23:52 Comments || Top||


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
New Obama Kids Book Sets the Record for Messianic Creepiness….
Beyond creepy...bordering on frightening......

"Even God himself talks to Barry while he's in church on Sunday, telling him: "Look around you. Now look to me. There is hope enough here to last a lifetime."

if that wasn't creepy enought, here's another one....

“Barack smiled, tears rolling down his cheeks. Suddenly he knew for certain hope would last long enough for him to make a difference.”

Posted by: Beavis || 08/15/2008 09:46 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Can half he country really want this fruitcake for president?
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 11:16 Comments || Top||

#2  Nikki's a winner in the Cynthia McKinney Lookalike Contest. With hair by Sideshow Bob.

Hey, gang! Check out my newest book, Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (Simon & Schuster), which will be available on August 26th at bookstores everywhere. I'm excited about every book I do, but this one was especially intriguing. The publisher asked me to write about Mr. Obama, and the illustrator, Bryan Collier, and I didn't have much time to get it ready. In fact, I had just about three weeks. Want to hear a miracle? I researched and wrote it in two! God answers prayer, I'm just saying. Then Bryan worked his magic with the illustrations. You can read more about the book in Publishers Weekly and a forthcoming issue of Newsweek. Read more...

And how's this for exciting news? I'm going to sign books at the Democratic National Convention! That's right. On August 27th and 28th, I'll be in Denver at the Convention Center where the Democratic Party will officially make Barack Obama its presidential candidate. I'm so thrilled to be able to share my book there.


http://www.nikkigrimes.com/
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/15/2008 11:18 Comments || Top||

#3  The kid on the cover looks like a 6 year old Yao Ming.
Posted by: Scott R || 08/15/2008 11:29 Comments || Top||

#4  Even God himself talks to Barry while he's in church on Sunday

I thought most jews and christians believed that G-d DOES talk to us when we open our hearts in prayer?

Didnt Bush say G-d talked to him?
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 11:38 Comments || Top||

#5  For me it's the hypocrisy of the Left and the media. If GW were the subject of this book, the Left and the MSM would be screaming "theocracy!" But since it's BHO, well then speaking in tongues is just dandy as long as yer on the left side of the isle.

Whats more creepy is the repetitive and not so subtle retro socialist propoganda art his camaign is using.
Posted by: Rex Mundi || 08/15/2008 11:57 Comments || Top||

#6  You're right! It looks just like the NKor propaganda art!
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 12:13 Comments || Top||

#7  Unbelievable.
Imagine what they would do if he actually became President?


Posted by: john frum || 08/15/2008 12:21 Comments || Top||

#8  the Left and the MSM would be screaming "theocracy!"

my impression is that the more militant atheists are quietly uncomfortable with him.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 12:26 Comments || Top||

#9  ...well at least as atheists, they would be consistent.
Posted by: Rex Mundi || 08/15/2008 12:34 Comments || Top||

#10  Hah! I laugh. She researched and wrote a children's book about Obama in 2 weeks? Big friggin honky deal. What's it weigh in at - 10, 15, maybe even 20 thousand words tops?

Try writing 65 thousand words in 35 total writing days, bitch. Then you can say something.

(Yes, I did - the research took me somewhat longer, but there were 35 total writing days on a 65 thousand word book (now in 5th draft and 80 thousand words))
Posted by: FOTSGreg || 08/15/2008 12:39 Comments || Top||

#11  I laugh, too... hollowly. Two weeks of work and scribbling, a deal with Simon & Schuster and a signing at the Dems' Convention.... wonder what her advance was?

10-20 thousand words - eh, that's about three chapters of the Adelsverein Trilogy for me, which now clocks in at about half a million total and took eighteen months for the first draft and initial revisions.
Posted by: Sgt. Mom || 08/15/2008 13:22 Comments || Top||

#12  I doubt it's 10000 words. It's a 48 page children's picture book written in verse.
Amazon's running a deal. Buy the Barack book with Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight and get an extra 5% off. It must be Indoctrinate Your Child Week over there.
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/15/2008 13:43 Comments || Top||

#13  In novels, it's generally accepted there are about 250 words/page. That'd be about 12 thousand words if the book were 48 pages long and filled like a novel. It's obviously not and it's for children, so figure about half that/ Let's be nice and give her 6 thousand words. That's 428.6 words per full day of writing.

I do better than that in an hour.

My average was 1857.1 words/day on my book. In my other writing I average easily 1600 words/day (I'm ashamed of myself for not working hard enough if I don't hit a grand every single day).

She probably got an enormous advance since it's political, for children, about the Obamessiah, and from Simon & Schuster (didn't they shill for Hillary too to the tune of $10 million advance?).

And she's proud of this crap?
Posted by: FOTSGreg || 08/15/2008 14:17 Comments || Top||

#14  my impression is that the more militant atheists are quietly uncomfortable with him.

Kinda like saying that some of the Khmer Rouge had twinges of conscience about what they were doing to Cambodia.
Posted by: Pappy || 08/15/2008 14:50 Comments || Top||

#15  if it averages more than 50 words a page, i'll kiss a horse.

pure drivel.
Posted by: Abu do you love || 08/15/2008 17:03 Comments || Top||

#16  I, for one, welcome the chance to read the gospel according to The One.

I also love Big Brother, and recognize that we have always been at war with Oceania. (Now if someone could kindly tell me where my boy hid my soma, I would be deeply appreciative.)
Posted by: Swamp Blondie in the Cornfields || 08/15/2008 20:06 Comments || Top||

#17  That you don't find this creepy "Even God himself talks to Barry while he's in church on Sunday" and that you would attempt to provide an explanation for Barack's hearing God himself talk back - says really creepy things about you. eech
Posted by: Betty Grating2215 || 08/15/2008 20:55 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Mauritania: Military junta names new prime minister
(Aki) -- Mauritania's ruling military junta has named Ould Muhammad al-Aghdaf as the country's new Prime Minister. Al-Aghdaf is the son of a prominent religious leader who led the country's independence struggle from France over four decades ago.
Al-Aghdaf is the son of a prominent religious leader who led the country's independence struggle from France over four decades ago.


More than two-thirds of the Parliament on Wednesday signed a declaration of support for the newly created 'Council of State' led by the Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, head of elected president Sidi Cheikh Ould Abdallahi's presidential guard.

A minority of MPs who did not sign the letter belonged to a hardline Muslim party and a coalition of left-leaning politicians.

On the same day, the junta began consultations on the formation of a new government as troops broke up an anti-coup protest in the capital, Noakchott.

Observers say Abdallahi alienated the senior members of the military when against their advice he released several Islamist radicals and began a dialogue with members of an extreme Muslim sect. Allegations of corruption by Abdallahi's family also eroded his support. Abdallahi last year won the country's first free and fair vote in over 20 years. He was ousted by the junta last week and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Subsaharan
Tsvangirai Held at Airport
With no substantive comment from either side after three weeks of negotiation, the progress of power-sharing talks between the leader of the Zimbabwean regime, Robert Mugabe, and his opposition rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, remain a mystery. But some hint of the atmosphere in which they are being conducted emerged Thursday when Zimbabwean security forces briefly detained Tsvangirai, his deputy -- Movement for Democratic Change (M.D.C.) general secretary Tendai Biti -- and a third M.D.C. official. The three were held at Harare airport and, after their passports were confiscated, prevented from leaving the country to attend a weekend summit of southern African leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa. Biti said the incident raised questions about the Mugabe regime's true intentions. "This is a reflection of their insincerity," he told reporters at the airport. "They want to talk to us. Yet they behave like hooligans."
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Innocent mistake. His name was probably on a TSA Watch List.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/15/2008 10:26 Comments || Top||


Caribbean-Latin America
Bolivia talks end with no result
Talks between Bolivia's president and opposition governors have ended without progress with governors accusing Morales of refusing to make any concessions.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Wired Magazine: Assault Ship's Bad Day " Inside the Battle for the Black Sea"
While the speed of the Russian Army's response grabbed the attention of western observers, the fast response by the Russian Navy has been quite remarkable, too. The war started on Friday August 8th; the Black Sea Fleet was reported to arrive off the coast of Georgia on Saturday August 9th. That's pretty impressive, considering it is about 400 nautical miles from Sevastopol to Ochamchire. While the Moskva, Smetlivy, Muromets, and Aleksandrovets can make good speed and make the trip quickly, those ships sailed from Sevastopol with an assortment of support vessels that could only make 12-16 knots, at best. Simple math reveals that would make it a 25 hour trip, meaning the ships would have had to put to sea almost immediately after the fighting began. For any fleet to deploy that quickly is extraordinary readiness.

Then, on the early morning of August 10th, there was a battle at sea. The Russian Black Sea Fleet was engaged by four Georgian coast guard vessels, while conducting landing operations in Ochamchire. The Russians claimed to sink one ship, and the day after the battle the Moskva was reported to be in the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 20:34 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Amusing - the Georgian boats were armed only with guns. If they were missile boats, they might have sent the Russian Black Sea fleet to the bottom.

Some of the details of the sailor's story are slightly inaccurate -- call it fog of war. The Georgian ship sunk was not the Tbilisi, as the sailor suggests. Rather it was the Georgian patrol boat P-21 Georgy Toreli. A night battle in the littoral, the Georgians armed only with guns, yet the little flotilla of four was able to get in close to Moskva and start a little fire. Covering its withdraw, the Mirazh missile boat is reported to have sunk the ship in only 90 seconds in what was reported as 300 meters of water.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 08/15/2008 22:28 Comments || Top||

#2  For any fleet to deploy that quickly is extraordinary readiness.

Maybe they were "pre-ready", if you know what I mean.
Posted by: Angie Schultz || 08/15/2008 22:56 Comments || Top||


Russian Forces Capture Us-Made Small Arms In Senaki Military Base
Senaki–APA. Russian forces announced a list of captured arms in Georgian military base in Senaki, APA reports quoting Lenta.ru. Deputy Chief of Russian General Staff Anatoliy Nogovich said they captured 764 pieces of M-16 automatic weapon, 28 M-40 machine guns and 754 Kalashnikov automatic weapons. He said Georgian servicemen left the military base before arrival of Russian forces.
Posted by: Sherry || 08/15/2008 12:15 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What the hell is a M-40 machine gun? Are they talking about a sniper rifle?
Posted by: Mitch H. || 08/15/2008 12:57 Comments || Top||

#2  US made arms are available on the open market so this is worthless. The US is an ally of Georgia so this is worse than obvious. But the really funny thing is...

764 pieces of M-16 automatic weapon
754 Kalashnikov automatic weapons.

The Kalishnikov is Russian or Chinese made. So just under half the captured weapons were Russian. Yeah it's probably old stuff but it's funny.

I'm also curious what "764 pieces of M-16 automatic weapon" means. Did they take a couple M-16s apart and count the pieces? Probably a translation issue but what a weird sentence.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 13:09 Comments || Top||

#3  Wonder if they mean M240?
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 08/15/2008 13:27 Comments || Top||

#4  FN MAG 58? Same thing? I think so, but am having it checked. M240 is US designation for the 58.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike || 08/15/2008 16:15 Comments || Top||

#5  What about the UFOs? Enquirying minds need to know about the alien technology that Georgia had?
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 17:09 Comments || Top||


Nuclear Threats against Poland over Missile Defense
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia warns Poland that it may become a priority target for Russia in the event the USA deploys elements of its missile defense system on the territory of this East European nation. To put it in a nutshell, Russia may strike a nuclear blow on Poland, which is possible after the recent change of the Russian Federation defense doctrine.

"The USA is busy with its own missile defense system; it does not intend to defend Poland at this point. Poland lays itself open to attack giving the USA a permission to deploy the system. The country may become an object of Russia's reaction. Such targets are destroyed in the first instance," Anatoly Nogovitsin, Russia's Deputy Chief of Staff said commenting the recent agreement regarding the deployment of the US missile defense system in Poland.

Nogovitsin stated that Russia may use nuclear weapons in cases as stipulated by the defense doctrine. "It clearly states that we can use nuclear weapons against the countries possessing nuclear weapons, against allies of such countries, if they somehow support them, and against those countries, which deploy other countries' nuclear weapons on their territories. Poland is aware of it," the general said.
This seems to be a weak spot for Russia, the perception that it's might could be sidesteped, however currently MD won't stop many missles with multiple war heads so why are the Russians so fearful of this? Maybe they are thinking down the line when we have thousands of anti-missle systems in place around it's borders while they can't stop ours from falling down on their heads.
Posted by: Pliny Sleash8027 || 08/15/2008 11:35 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Deep, deep paranoia. They assume we are the enemy. Which we aren't, but they do anything to gain some--it's so lonely without enemies... sigh

While they are helping Iran.

Nuts.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 12:25 Comments || Top||

#2  It looks like Russia has its paranoid, expansionist, fascist mojo on.

Not good
Posted by: Slats Glans2659 || 08/15/2008 12:46 Comments || Top||

#3  We are not responsible for the language in their defense doctrine. A nuclear launch, even an unsuccessful one, is outlined in OUR defense doctrine also. They are playing with fire now. This is how nuts like Kimmie and Dinnerjacket act right before they get a healthy dose of sanctions.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 12:46 Comments || Top||

#4  Because non-nuclear direct impact warheads are so dangers to a man walking his poodle in Leningrad.
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 17:11 Comments || Top||

#5  May want to hold off on 1st Armored's Fort Bliss redeployment. Poland and the Baltics could be a lot more interesting than El Paso.
Posted by: ed || 08/15/2008 18:48 Comments || Top||

#6  RUSSIA is facing potentially DANGEROUS + NEAR-TERM GEOPOL PROBS ON ITS BORDERS, i.e. NUCLEARIZING RADICAL ISLAMISM [States + Militants-Terror] in CENTRAL ASIA; + CHINESE AMBITIONS ON ITS FAR EAST [Urals - Kamchatka/Siberia].

E.g. CHINA > OFFICIO indic that CHINA's POPULATION IS ONLY 1.3 BILYUHN, WHICH IS APPROXI 1.3 BILYUHN LESS THAN WHAT MANY PERTS BELIEVE. The latter argue that China is wilfully underestim its TRUE POPULATION. Besides POPUL EXPANSION?, CHINA is also dealing wid parallel INTENSIFYING PAN-ENVIRON DESERTIFICATION.

IOW, CHINA > MAY BY 2050 BECOM A GIANT, NUKE- ARMED, STARVING NORTH KOREA, NOT AN ANTI/POST-US SUPERPOWER COMPETITOR + SUCCESSOR AS DESIRED.

Think 1960's STAR TREK > where CAPT KIRK is on an ELBOW-ROOM ONLY, CATASTROPH OVERCROWDED, CULTURE-FORBIDS-ANY-WAR ALIEN HUMANOID PLANET IN DIRE NEED OF NATURAL DISEASE TO REDUX ITS NUMBERS.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 19:29 Comments || Top||

#7  Lest we fergit, COLD WAR > It has been said that the USSR did NOT fear the US-NATO asmuch it did anti-Soviet MAO-LED RED CHINA + NON-ALIGNED WORLD POWERS + SMALL STATES.

Again my nose is twitching > IMO, its possib Russia may using mil aggression to disguise its LT fears as per its NATIONAL SURVIVAL agz [future]NUCLEAR ISLAMISM-TERROR + "LIVING SPACE"-AMBITIOUS CHINA.

Russia may PDENIABLY? be trying to contain-isolate its own anti-US Ally NUCLEAR IRAN, etc. from CONTROLLING = EXPANDING INTO THE BLACK SEA-CASPIAN-BALKAN REGIONS, to include any threat by Nuclear Islamism agz historic Russ-ally Muslim TURKEY. BESIDES EXCLUSIVE CHIN DESIGNS PER SE VV RUSS FAR EAST, RUSS IS ALSO SEEING SIMIL EXCLUSIVE ISLAMIST THREATS AGZ CHINA + NORTH ASIA. IOW RUSS VIEW > ISLAMIST CONTROL OF CHINA/NORTH ASIA + CHIN NUKES + MASSIVE CHIN [Asian] POPULATION = NUCLEAR ISLAMIST ASIA???

Again, its possib Russia is "hedging", and may lastly also be covertly prepping for a future POST-WOT/RUSSIA day when it may need to formally integrate wid NON-MUSLIM/ISLAMIST NATO-EU AS TO ITS OWN SURVIVALIST INTERESTS???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 19:54 Comments || Top||


Claim: Georgia used US and Ukrainian mercenaries in its aggression against South Ossetia
S. Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity stated that Georgia used mercenaries from several countries during its aggression against his nation. "There were many mercenaries from Ukraine and the Baltic states. We have found dead bodies of African Americans too," Interfax quoted Kokoity as saying.

The official supposed that it was exactly the reason why the Georgian side had not provided any reports about the losses, which it was suffering during the military operation.
Dead African American mercenanies? Where's the proof?
"I seen it in Pravda, so it must be true!"
Posted by: Pliny Sleash8027 || 08/15/2008 11:35 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  If there were ... did you capture them or in a typical Russian brutal way torture them to death...
Since you can't show us any... I expect a Russian war crime is involved...
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 12:34 Comments || Top||

#2  I am sure they can supply some bodies of blacks, Russian skinheads will take care of suply.

Not sure regarding Ukrainians, and Baltics, I suppose they had their nationality tattooed on their foreheads, or they made them somehow speak despite rigor mortis, their Ministry of Interior is able to extract confessions even from dead... long tradition and experience.

As for releasing mil casualty stats... Did Russian Army provide these?
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 12:44 Comments || Top||

#3  Ironically the Russians brought in all sorts of trash - Chechens (former rebels), Cossacks, Ossetians - to do the dirty work of ridding the enclaves of ethnic Georgians.
They seem to be paying themselves, robbing banks, robbing people at gunpoint, looting, burning houses.
From some of the pictures, they seem to have "liberated" a Nike store
Posted by: john frum || 08/15/2008 12:52 Comments || Top||

#4  Interesting that they said African Americans. If you were hiring mercenaries you might find a number of africans there, how do you know they are Americans? If so why state African American rather than American?

Mercs are a dirty word to some but an actual mercenary traditionally wears a uniform and is thus a legal combatant as opposed to the Chechens, Cossacks, Ossetians who are looting.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 13:11 Comments || Top||

#5  Not that I believe the story, by the way. Just to be clear.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 13:12 Comments || Top||

#6  If so why state African American rather than American?

For a local consumption. "Not only they were American, but worse, they were blacks!"

Racism. A trend, subtly or sometimes not so subtly, supported by Russian government. The failures have to be blamed on someone and what's more convenient than to blame it on darker skinned "furriners"? They are in a good supply and provide a good sport for Russian skinheads, neonazis and various "patriotic" mini-parties and clubs. Anyone who is not white is a "black". People are even affraid getting a tan.

It's really rather bad over there.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 14:05 Comments || Top||

#7  They must hate to play the USA basketball team.
Posted by: Pliny Sleash8027 || 08/15/2008 14:19 Comments || Top||

#8  Again how many space aliens among the dead?
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 17:13 Comments || Top||

#9  Aside from the seriousness of war, this article hilarious from start to end. To start, they mangle the meaning of D. Simes comments.

To finish, the blunder all over press coverage, from misunderstanding to flawed analysis.

As bad as the Georgian's screwed up, these folks come across as primitives.

As for the "mercenaries", we'll know in due course, but every day that passes without a major western contractor reporting missing staff, the sillier the final answer will appear.


Posted by: Halliburton - Idiot Suppression Division || 08/15/2008 17:50 Comments || Top||

#10  Pravda is the Weekly World News of Russia. So dead space alien mercenary story will appear soon.
Posted by: ed || 08/15/2008 18:31 Comments || Top||

#11  US black mercenaries sounds like so much cow pucky to me. Seriously doubt this headline.
Posted by: JohnQC || 08/15/2008 19:28 Comments || Top||

#12  ION KOMMERSANT > GEORGIA CANNOT WITHDRAW FROM CIS FOR ONE YEAR [WIthdrawal Application Period of Consideration = MINIMA LEAD TIME].

REAL CLEAR POLITICS > THE WEAKNESS BEHIND PUTIN'S BELLIGERENCE + EURASIA AND THE WEST; + TOPIX > GEORGIA CONFLICT: THE END OF THE AMERICAN SUPERPOWER? + THE END OF THE PAX AMERICANA ERA.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 23:49 Comments || Top||


Missed in Feb 08 - Ukraine to offer Europe former Soviet anti-missile radars
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 11:29 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hmm, I'm sure NATO did buy a few for "inspection".
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 11:42 Comments || Top||


Russia accused of dropping cluster bombs on Georgian civilians
Russian military aircraft have deployed controversial and indiscriminately deadly cluster bombs on civilian areas of Georgia according to an international rights group. Human Rights Watch, which is based in New York, said today that it has obtained evidence proving that the weapons, which were banned by more than 100 countries in May, have killed at least 11 people so far during the conflict in the Caucasus.

Cluster bomb systems scatter small "bomblets" across a wide area and can prove deadly to civilians - particularly children - who pick up munitions which have failed to detonate on impact. The bombs effectively leave behind a trail of landmines.

Human Rights Watch said Russian aircraft dropped RBK-250 cluster bombs, each containing 30 PTAB 2.5M submunitions or bomblets, on the town of Ruisi in the Kareli district of Georgia on August 12, 2008 killing three civilians and wounding five others. The organisation claims that on the same day a cluster strike in the centre of Gori killed at least eight civilians and injured dozens. The Dutch journalist Stan Storimans was among the dead.

It would be the first known use of cluster bombs since Israeli planes used the weapons against Hezbollah in Lebanon two years ago.

At a summit in Ireland earlier this year an agreement was reached to ban the use of the weapon by 107 countries. Russia, along with the US, China, Israel, India and Pakistan, refused to attend the convention, which expanded the limits imposed by the Arms Trade Treaty and landmine ban.

Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of Russia's General Staff, denied today that the weapons had been used in Georgia: "We never use cluster bombs. There is no need to do so."

Human Rights Watch researchers said they had carried out numerous interviews and examined photos of craters and video footage of the August 12 attack on Gori. They claim to have seen a photograph of nose cone of an RBK-250 bomb in Gori and video of more than two dozen simultaneous explosions at the time of the attack. Craters in Gori were also consistent with a cluster strike.

Doctors at the two main hospitals in Tbilisi have described injuries to civilians hurt in the attack on Gori that they believed were consistent with cluster bombs. Keti Javakhishvili, 25, suffered massive trauma to her liver, stomach, and intestines, as well as hemorrhagic shock. Two other victims sustained fragment wounds to their legs and abdominal regions. All the wounds were consistent with those caused by submunitions from cluster bombs.

Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch said: "Cluster bombs are indiscriminate killers that most nations have agreed to outlaw. Russia's use of this weapon is not only deadly to civilians, but also an insult to international efforts to avoid a global humanitarian disaster of the kind caused by landmines."
Posted by: john frum || 08/15/2008 08:55 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  As sympathetic as I am to the Georgians, this is balls. Either tag them for attacking civilians, or don't. This blaming of specific tools is nonsense. You don't get any points for gunning down grandma with cannon fire instead of burning her down with napalm.
Posted by: Mitch H. || 08/15/2008 9:32 Comments || Top||

#2  As a citizen of a country that uses cluster bombs, what can I say? The russians don't seem to even try to limit civilian casualties, in fact, to he casual observer it seems that they are just as happy to kill civilians as soldiers in this case.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 9:39 Comments || Top||

#3  I agree with Mitch. Clusterbombs aren't the problem, the targetting of civilians is the problem. Even if they were dropping ten-ton bags of flowers on the civilians it would be a problem.

Bit of backhanded unAmericanism in here to make it more palatable to the lefties?
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 12:15 Comments || Top||

#4  After watching an impressive display of a pattern of many 500 -lb Rockeye being deployed from a section of A-6s many years ago, cluster bombs do put the hurt on who or whatever is underneath them.
great for real targets, but not so great against civilians.
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 08/15/2008 12:26 Comments || Top||

#5  the human rights "community" has been making a big deal of certian weapons systems lately. It started with antipersonall land mines, with SOME justification, as they have nasty post-conflict impacts - the soldiers they were legitimately used against are long gone, and they keep maiming civies for years after. I agree that the full ban went too far and ignored technical fixes, but thats where we are. from 2001 on they got fixated on cluster bombs as being similar to land mines.

I agree that the focus SHOULD be on targeting. But given where the world is, I think its fully just that Russia, which I cant recall objecting to attacks on Israel for using cluster bombs in Lebanon, or on the US for using them in Afghanistan, should be hoisted on this petard.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 12:30 Comments || Top||

#6  I bet there's a lot of rethinking on this one and a reevaluation period causing a halt in the process.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 08/15/2008 19:24 Comments || Top||


Russian Cold War redux: Georgia war a conspiracy to elect McCain
Russians were told over breakfast yesterday what really happened in Georgia: the conflict in South Ossetia was part of a plot by Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, to stop Barak Obama being elected president of the United States.
Okay. They got us. Dang they are so smart ...
The line came on the main news of Vesti FM, a state radio station that -- like the Government and much of Russia's media -- has reverted to the old habits of Soviet years, in which a sinister American hand was held to lie behind every conflict, especially those embarrassing to Moscow. Modern Russia may be plugged into the internet and the global marketplace but in the battle for world opinion the Kremlin is replaying the old black-and-white movie.

The Obama angle is getting wide play. It was aired on Wednesday by Sergei Markov, a senior political scientist who is close to Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister and power behind President Medvedev. "George Bush's Administration is promoting interests of candidate John McCain," said Dr Markov. "Defeated by Barak Obama on all fronts, McCain has one last card to play yet - the creation of a virtual Cold War with Russia . . . Bush himself did not want a war in South Ossetia but his Republican Party did not leave him any choice." The Americans were now engineering an armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Dr Markov added.
Posted by: Mizzou Mafia || 08/15/2008 01:08 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  has reverted to the old habits of Soviet years

Ah, it's nothing particular to the Soviet years. We have large print media which has seen a dramatic collapse in readership and ad revenue and they blame everything but their own crappy product. Then again....they do seem to carry what is considered by some here to be the old Soviet orthodoxy.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 08/15/2008 8:29 Comments || Top||

#2  Robert Scheer in The Nation is repeating this, IIUC.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 9:33 Comments || Top||

#3  I do believe that qualifies as an endorsement of the lightworker.
Posted by: Mitch H. || 08/15/2008 9:33 Comments || Top||

#4  If you can't explain it as a conspiracy theory, don't bother.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 9:59 Comments || Top||

#5  Obama! Now with the Putin seal of approval.
Posted by: ed || 08/15/2008 11:28 Comments || Top||

#6  Say what you want about Bush, but whatever he does he almost always pisses off the right people.
Posted by: Scott R || 08/15/2008 11:58 Comments || Top||

#7  Dont know about Putin, but his apologists in the west aint thrilled with Obamas words on this.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 12:06 Comments || Top||

#8  The only way this helps McCain over Obama is if you assume Obama's response would be tepid and unpalatable to the American people. Says a lot more about the conspiracy mongers than anything else.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 12:21 Comments || Top||

#9  Yeah, using the Euro approach without a military will work for the O'man, just a whisper difference from McCain in some people's opinion.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 08/15/2008 18:10 Comments || Top||

#10  WAFF.com > RUSIA LOST THE [Georgian] WAR, as its decline has been such RUSSIA no longer was able to successfully milpol frighten or intimidate a smaller sovereign State; + LOOTING RUSSIAN SOLDIER [Georgia]: WE [Russia = Russ Army]SHOULD INVADE TURKEY NEXT.

Also from WAFF > WAPO - ANOTHER HARD LANDING FOR RUSSIA!? Despite appearances or facades to contrary, GEORGIAN WAR > Russia fears and may be facing ANOTHER 1989 or 1991 DESTABILIZATION AND LT BREAKUP, as per:

* WILL RUSSIAN FAR EAST = CHINESE COLONY?
* NORTHERN CAUCASUS = Break from Moscow's control?
* FORMER SOVIET/RUSSIAN SATRAPIES [SSRS + East Euros] = FUTURE MAJOR INDEPENDENT [Anti-Russ + non-Russ-controlled/centric, non-Aligned Nuke States]NUCLEAR POWERS, at Russ's doorstep in her own BackYard???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 21:27 Comments || Top||

#11  So the Russians assume that as a result of their antics, John McCain will win the election? How can I argue with that?
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/15/2008 23:39 Comments || Top||

#12  Some Russians think that McCain may actually be better than Obama: old geezer with the Vietnam war syndrom, but a solid predicable politician with mainstream republican values - good for practical capitalism.
Posted by: General_Comment || 08/15/2008 23:50 Comments || Top||


Bosnia rejects Russian allegations about weapon exports to Georgia
(Xinhua) -- Bosnia-Herzegovina rejected on Thursday allegations from the Russian Defense Ministry that it was one of the countries which exported weaponry to Georgia. "The Bosnian Presidency has not okayed any transfer of arms surplus to that country," said Haris Silajdzic, chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina''s collective presidency, the Bosnian news agency FENA reported from the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.
"Lies! All lies!"
Silajdzic made the comment after a see-off ceremony for the departure of a Bosnian contingent from Sarajevo to Iraq for its engagement in the peace mission.

Earlier on Thursday the Bosnian media cited a statement issued by the Russian Defense Ministry before the recent military intervention in South Ossetia, which claimed that Bosnia-Herzegovina was on a list of countries that military assisted Georgia. Bosnian Deputy Defense Minister Igor Crnadak said that the Russian ministry had given misinformation and his country neither sold nor donated any arms to Georgia. The Russian ministry reported that apart from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the United States, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Israel, Serbia and Ukraine supplied Georgia with weapons.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  What the fuck does it matter who supplies weapons to Georgia, Pooty-boy? It's a fuck sovereign country! None of your fucking business!
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 2:19 Comments || Top||

#2  SU is spot on. The russians continue to try to imply that Georgia is not sovereign. And its amazing how many in the west seem to agree. Other day Max Boot says lets send stingers to Georgia - and everyone from Andrew Sullivan to Belgravia Dispatch et al get their panties in a twist, about reckless, warlike, boot.

Now leaving aside qs of timing and practicalities, what the hell is wrong with selling weapons to a soveriegn nation state? Russia does it all the time.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 9:32 Comments || Top||

#3  All agreed LH, but I wonder if there are several other layers going on here.

1 - Is the fighting over, or not?

2 - Russia has made this charge, serially, by my count, against Israel, the US, and now Bosnia - throw in the Ukraine and Polish comments - and it gets one thinking what has already happened. By that I mean we haven't seen much in the way of statistics since the very first wave of charges (Georgia killed 2,000 Ossetes - genocide; 2, 4 or 10 Soviet jets downed, etc...)

3 - The dire reports of "panic", "rout", "despair" and so forth, accompanying Soviet advances, BUT, there stand everyone in outdoor rallies in Tblisi, and are there any POW's taken? Where's the Georgian army? We know 2,000 of them returned from Iraq?

4 - Now we have, from what I can tell, random newsies wandering behing Russian lines and at the "front", wherever it is; a few random shootings/lootings/forays by Russian/irregular troops noted - the reports from Tblisi, and not much else. Granted, it's a small country, but I wonder what sort of defensive surprises await further Russian actions, or behind the lines guerrilla actions nobody is reporting.

If and when the USN arrives, they sea and air will both be stymied, which tends to even up ground activity - particularly since the armor is no longer of military use (marauding yes, but attack or defense, not really).

Finally, is Russia losing whatever propaganda value they ever had by staying? When the finally leave, what will the reporting look like? What will they have done? How can they dress up the mess they've made?
Posted by: Halliburton - Idiot Suppression Division || 08/15/2008 17:39 Comments || Top||

#4  The Wall Street Journal has a long report on today's front page, above the fold, about the fact that Georgia has not committed genocide. link There are quotes and photos from named foreign reporters in South Ossetia and Georgia proper about the actual situation on the ground there: Russian troops continuing to attack, irregular troops looting and burning -- including stealing from foreign reporters in front of the cameras -- and the very small number of dead and wounded observed in local hospitals.

There are also several other articles, photo esssays and videos on the subject. Not to mention op-ed pieces all this week. The Wall Street Journal feels strongly about this.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/15/2008 18:36 Comments || Top||


Medvedev Backs Independence Bids
President Dmitry Medvedev signaled Thursday that he would support independence bids by Georgia's separatist provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as Russian troops roamed in Georgia proper, prompting outcries that Moscow was violating a truce reached with Tbilisi this week. "We will support any decisions made by the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia ... and not only will we support them, but we will guarantee them both in the Caucasus and throughout the world," Medvedev told Abkhaz leader Sergei Bagapsh and his South Ossetian counterpart, Eduard Kokoity, in the Kremlin.

The two separatist leaders were in Moscow to sign a document outlining the principles for a settlement of the Russian-Georgian conflict.

Russian troops poured into South Ossetia last Friday, rebuffing an attempt by Georgia's military to reclaim South Ossetia by force. Having routed Georgian units in the separatist region, the troops then moved into Georgia proper, saying it needed to destroy Georgian military bases and positions near the towns of Gori and Senaki to protect South Ossetia from further attacks.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia have long sought to be recognized as independent states. Russia never objected to their bids but formally pledged to respect Georgia's territorial integrity.
And if you can't trust the Russers when it comes to territorial integrity who can you trust?
This week's truce says nothing about Georgia's territorial integrity, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made it clear Thursday that the issue was not open for discussion. "You can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial integrity because, I believe, it is impossible to persuade South Ossetia and Abkhazia to agree with the motion that they can be forced back into the Georgian state," Lavrov told reporters.

Lavrov later told Ekho Moskvy radio that mentioning Georgia's territorial integrity in any document connected to the settlement of the conflict would be regarded by South Ossetians and the Abkhaz as a "profound offense of human dignity."
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Offense to human dignity? Isn't that the USSR and Russian Empires?
Medvedev can FOAD!
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 0:24 Comments || Top||

#2  The "independence" will bite them in their ass.

Fucking wannabe Grandmaster... Speaking of which:

In an interview on news channel TVN24, Tusk said the United States agreed to help augment Poland’s defenses with Patriot missiles in exchange for placing 10 missile defense interceptors in the eastern European country.

He said the deal also includes a “mutual commitment” between the two nations to come to each other’s assistance “in case of trouble.”

Talking about the “mutual commitment” part of the agreement, Tusk said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would be too slow in coming to Poland’s defense if threatened and that the bloc would take “days, weeks to start that machinery.”

“Poland and the Poles do not want to be in alliances in which assistance comes at some point later _ it is no good when assistance comes to dead people. Poland wants to be in alliances where assistance comes in the very first hours of _ knock on wood _ any possible conflict,” Tusk said.


Bessotted by joy now, Pooty, Medvedv, Lavrov?
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 5:04 Comments || Top||

#3  What about Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan?
How come they don't be gettin no Independence???
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 11:48 Comments || Top||


Georgia: 100-Vehicle Russian Convoy Pushing Toward Kutaisi
Georgia's prime minister said a convoy of more than 100 Russian tanks and other vehicles are moving from the western city of Zugdidi deeper into Georgia. Lado Gurgenidze said it is unclear where the tanks were going or why, calling it "a rather large column of Russian armor, over 100 pieces." He suggested in a teleconference with reporters that the Russian forces "are trying to rattle the civilian population."

Georgia's president, meanwhile, claimed that Russian forces now control one-third of Georgian territory.

The two countries have been fighting since Georgia sought to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia, backed by Moscow. Russia responded with a fierce retaliation. Hopes plummeted into fearful confusion in key Georgian cities Thursday as Russian troops appeared ready to pull out, then returned.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It's just crying for a Warthog visit.
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 0:27 Comments || Top||

#2  Not until air superiority is obtained and the weasels clear the Russian AA.

First things first. This is where that F-22 and the rest of the package comes in.

In the meantime many AT missiles are called for. Biggest problem for "smart" missiles is both sides are using the same equipment.
Posted by: tipover || 08/15/2008 0:38 Comments || Top||


Belarus Sends Aid After Reproach
Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky said Thursday that his country had sent humanitarian aid to victims of fighting in South Ossetia and was ready to host several thousand children over the next two months. "We in the government have taken measures," Sidorsky told Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. "Today we've sent vehicles with humanitarian cargo."

Belarus offered its sympathy and assistance in Moscow's conflict with Georgia after Russian authorities earlier this week reproached Minsk for offering what they called "modest silence." The West has condemned Russia for the fighting over Georgia's breakaway republic.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Well, show us how good vassal are you!
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 2:41 Comments || Top||

#2  The Russians had to poke Minsk with a stick to get them to yap? That's... interesting. Also kind of unexpected.
Posted by: Mitch H. || 08/15/2008 9:40 Comments || Top||


Order on Fleet to Go Unheeded
Russia's military said Thursday that it would ignore a decree by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko requiring its Black Sea Fleet to give 72 hours' notice before undertaking any movements from its Crimean port.

Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the armed forces' General Staff, said the order, which also would require the Russian Navy to submit a request 10 days before ships return to the Crimean port, was illegitimate and violated previous agreements.

The Black Sea Fleet has been deployed to the Georgian coast as part of Moscow's military action against Georgia. "We don't consider such orders as legitimate," Nogovitsyn told a briefing. "We will follow the existing agreements."

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the Ukrainian move Thursday, saying it reflected "an obsessive desire to please NATO and join it."

The chief of Ukraine's General Staff, Serhiy Kirichenko, promised to fulfill Yushchenko's decree. "The president's decree on the Black Sea Fleet will, of course, be implemented on the territory of Ukraine," Kirichenko told reporters, the Unian news agency reported. "The Defense Ministry and the General Staff are among those state bodies responsible for this task."

Yushchenko's order, issued Wednesday, is seen as a strong show of support for Georgia as both countries seek to break free of Moscow's influence.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  can the airborne laser sink ships? (deniable..)
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 0:29 Comments || Top||

#2  Tactical lasers work by heating the surface of the target. In the case of rockets or missiles, the payload or fuel chamber is detonated in the air as a result, often before the metal surface is actually breached.

So the question is a) what are you aiming for WRT a ship and b) can you put and keep enough energy on that location to do the damage you require?

Several problems WRT ships:

Thickness of hull
Critical hull areas under water
Much harder to keep beam on a given spot due to wave motion
Need for a much bigger hole

All of which means a HUGE amount of energy applied over a long time. Not likely to be feasible from an airborne platform, if at all.

I'm not familiar enough with shipboard electronics to know if there's an above-water target that is feasible.
Posted by: lotp || 08/15/2008 5:51 Comments || Top||

#3  Those insolent Ukrainians! Only we can pull new rules out of out ass!
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 5:58 Comments || Top||

#4  PIMF, the second out = our.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 5:59 Comments || Top||

#5  The Ukranians may need to blockade the Russians in port to enforce their requirements. Their navy is a bit light on submarines. Do we have a few we can loan them?
Posted by: Mike || 08/15/2008 8:26 Comments || Top||

#6  The Ukranians "lent" the Georgians a few S200 systems. The Russians didn't expect to face that and ended up losing one Tu-22M3 and hits to 3 other Backfires.
Posted by: john frum || 08/15/2008 8:47 Comments || Top||

#7  We'll see if the Ukrainians stand firm, or fold.
Posted by: DarthVader || 08/15/2008 11:25 Comments || Top||

#8  Just blow up the russian dock , see if they can parallel park a destroyer.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 12:23 Comments || Top||

#9  his response was not unanticipated; let's see if Ukraine calls, raises, or folds.
i suspect a fold. with explanations (apologies)
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 08/15/2008 12:52 Comments || Top||

#10  I wouldnt see Ukraine firing at returning vessels, or even blowing up docks. Im sure there are more subtle things they can do, like interfering with shipments of supplies. The Russian response to that couldnt really be violence (well not NOW, with Georgia still messy) but might be a cut of energy supplies again.

Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 12:59 Comments || Top||

#11  Maybe the USS Kennedy and friends could take up all the available parking spaces.
Posted by: AlanC || 08/15/2008 13:15 Comments || Top||

#12  I'm guessing the Russians will bluster but still give 10 days notice. Otherwise the Ukrainians will claim they don't have food/water/fuel in stock for the ships for ten days, potentially leaving the fleet with a few problems.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 13:19 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
Japan pressured to oppose US-India nuclear deal
TOKYO - Anti-nuclear campaigners launched a campaign Friday to press nuclear energy suppliers to stop an accord between India and the United States, saying it would shatter anti-proliferation efforts.

A loose coalition including activists and scholars focused efforts on Japan, which has been non-committal on the deal that would give India access to nuclear technology without signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). "We urge you to support measures that would avert further damage to the already beleaguered global non-proliferation and disarmament regime," said a letter signed by more than 160 people and groups from 24 countries.

Japan is a key player in the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, which controls the transfer of nuclear material and needs to approve the India-US deal. The group is expected to meet next week in Vienna.

The letter, which will be handed to foreign ministers of all the supplier nations, was signed by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two cities that were destroyed by US atomic bombs at the end of World War II in 1945. "The Japanese foreign ministry must realise that this agreement would be the start of the collapse of the non-proliferation regime," Japanese lawyer Masayoshi Narita told a news conference. "Japan as the only nation to come under nuclear attacks must clearly argue against it," he said.

Other signatories to the letter include Leonard Weiss, the architect of US non-proliferation laws, American leftist philosopher Noam Chomsky and former UN under secretary-general Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka.
Chomsky's against it? All we need to know right there.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says the nuclear accord is crucial as the country seeks to meet energy needs for its fast-growing economy.

The deal has moved forward since Singh parted ways with communist party allies, who argued that the accord aligns the country too closely with the United States.

Japan, like the United States, has been seeking a closer alliance with fellow democracy India. Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura visited India earlier this month and said Tokyo was still assessing whether the nuclear deal would undermine non-proliferation efforts. But he said that Japan would never change its position that India, which tested an atom bomb in 1998, should sign the NPT.

The India-US pact received key backing this week from Australia, which has the world's largest uranium reserves.
Posted by: john frum || 08/15/2008 13:26 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  A loose coalition including activists and scholars

That's MSMspeak for Communists.
Posted by: phil_b || 08/15/2008 14:02 Comments || Top||

#2  WAFF.com > INDIA'S QUALITY-OF-LIFE [ranks below Ethiopia]; + CHIN MIL FORUM OP-ED > SHOULD CHINA EXTEND TIBETAN RAILWAY TO INDIAN BORDER [contol of Zhumalinga Mountain Range + TIbetan Plateau]?
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 21:11 Comments || Top||

#3  OOPSIES. also from WAFF OP-ED Threads > SHOULD NEPAL's NEW MAOIST GOVT/DEMOCRACY JOIN UP WITH CHINA? + SHOULD CHINA, TURKEY ENGAGE IN POPULATION EXCHANGES [Turkic, Kurd minorities in same formally or forcibly rejoin their ancestral = genetic/cultural breathren in opposite countries]???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 21:16 Comments || Top||


Mitsubishi successfully launches satellite
The first communications satellite made completely in Japan for commercial use was successfully launched into orbit Friday, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said.

The Superbird-7 was fired into space from a launch pad in French Guiana on an Ariane 5 rocket made by the European consortium Arianespace, Mitsubishi (other-otc: MSBHY.PK - news - people ) said in a statement.

The five-ton satellite is the first fully domestically made commercial communications satellite launched by a private company, Mitsubishi said.

The satellite had entered a stationary orbit at 22,300 miles above the earth and will undergo testing until September, the company said.

The satellite, which will replace one launched in 1997, will provide satellite channels for cable television stations and relay international live broadcasts as well as broadband communications for aviation and maritime use throughout Asia, Mitsubishi said.

All 18 satellites previously launched by Japanese broadcast and communications companies were made in the United States.

Japan is racing to catch up with an emerging regional rivals China and India in space operations.
Posted by: john frum || 08/15/2008 09:27 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Is it a four cylinder satellite with rusty fenders?
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 11:21 Comments || Top||

#2  No it's a Space-Cruiser.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 08/15/2008 11:41 Comments || Top||

#3  Did they name it the "ZERO"?
Posted by: borgboy || 08/15/2008 19:02 Comments || Top||

#4  No, the Yamato
Posted by: Pappy || 08/15/2008 23:28 Comments || Top||


Europe
Merkel meets Medvedev, Russians deliver threats
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to press him to respect Georgia's territory. But Russia's ambassador to Berlin said Merkel would be shown proof of Georgian attrocities in South Ossetia.
"We have pictures!"
Merkel and Medvedev held talks at the Russian presidential residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, close to the Georgian border and the Moscow-backed rebel region of Abkhazia, Kremlin officials said.

While Germany has close ties to Russia, Merkel has criticized Russia's military onslaught in Georgia, sparked last week by a Georgian attack on separatist South Ossetia. Merkel earlier this week promised to have stern words with Medvedev over the conflict with Georgia. Her spokesman said that she would "make it clear" to Medvedev that the problems in the Caucasus region cannot be solved by military means, following the fighting between Russian and Georgian forces over the last week.
"Stern words" = "Chocolate" diplomacy
However Germany's desire not to isolate Russia has also been evident in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. On Thursday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the European Union to "keep the lines open" to both sides.

"We must criticize what needs to be criticized and we have done this in the past, including with clear words when necessary towards Russia... with regard to Russian bombing of Georgia and the presence of Russian troops in Georgia proper," Steinmeier said. "But we should also pursue a policy which is sensible and realistic."
Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate. For Germany, life is like a box of chocolates.
The Russian ambassador to Germany, Vladimir Kotenev, told the German daily newspaper Bild on Friday that Medvedev would present evidence to Merkel that Georgian forces had committed atrocities in South Ossetia."The Georgian troops have murdered women and children, set churches full of refugees on fire and flattened entire villages," Kotenev told the paper. "We can show concrete proof of this."
Russians are at their most ludicrous when they play the "victim"
He also said that Medvedev wanted to warn Merkel against letting eastern European countries have too much influence over the EU's policies toward Russia. "President Medvedev doesn't want to split the EU, but he will make clear to the chancellor that eastern European EU members should not drive the EU's Russia policy all alone. That would prevent a true partnership," he told Bild.
"We have CONCRETE PROOF that the Georgian fascist superpower has committed atrocities. Oh, by the way, we demand that the EU autocrats ignore the security concerns of our future subjects, IYKWIMAITYD."
Polish President Lech Kaczynski has personally come to Saakashvili's defence, visiting Tbilisi earlier this week. Along with three other leaders of ex-communist EU states, he slammed the peace plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to end the conflict for failing to insist on Georgia's territorial integrity.

But Kotenev also rejected international criticism of Moscow's actions in the Caucasus region. "Whoever wants to pillory Russia now is putting credence in a Georgian regime responsible for a genocide. That mocks the victims," he said, adding that it was up to the West if a "new ice age" with Moscow developed.
"Ice Age", of course, means no gas for you.
The location of Friday's meeting between Merkel and Medvedev, at a presidential residence in Sochi, had important significance for Russians as the resort is to host the Winter Olympics in 2014.

On Thursday two US lawmakers, Allyson Schwartz and Bill Shuster, began campaigning for the International Olympic Committee to pull the Winter Games from Sochi as punishment for Russia's actions.
It's a start.
Posted by: mrp || 08/15/2008 08:35 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  “The Georgian troops have murdered women and children, set churches full of refugees on fire and flattened entire villages,” Kotenev told the paper. “We can show concrete proof of this.”

You mean, just like Poles in the Katyn Forest????
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/15/2008 10:33 Comments || Top||

#2  OK, they unleashed Ossetian paras on Georgian villages (as already reported) and now they would try to present that as evidence?

I suppose they are feverishly manufacturing the images of exactly 1400 (2000, 2600?) dead Ossetians from the first night, as fast as their Ossetian goons can supply the corpses.

One glitch, though. A chief of the Tskhinvali hospital already gave count on August 9 -- 47 dead in the hospital morgue and 278 treated for injuries.

Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 10:56 Comments || Top||

#3  I've heard they contacted the Iranian Press Sec'y for help in dostoring phots of support.
Posted by: Shatle and Tenille1815 || 08/15/2008 13:23 Comments || Top||

#4  Apparently in Russian the word for "diplomatic talks" and the word for "blunt force trauma" are the same.
Posted by: Scott R || 08/15/2008 14:09 Comments || Top||

#5  John R Bolton sums the sad state of Western affairs;
It's a rainy night in Georgia.
Posted by: Red Dawg || 08/15/2008 14:19 Comments || Top||

#6  How's this threat, from America: You Russians, who like to pick on little countries, you want a REAL fight?
Posted by: CobraCommander || 08/15/2008 20:46 Comments || Top||


Russia: Poland risks attack because of US missiles
MOSCOW (AP) -- A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a U.S. missile defense battery exposes ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported. The statement by Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn is the strongest threat that Russia has issued against the plans to put missile defense elements in former Soviet satellite nations.
"The more you tighten your grip, the more systems will slip through your fingers ..."
Poland and the United States on Thursday signed a deal for Poland to accept a missile interceptor base as part of a system the United States says is aimed at blocking attacks by rogue nations. Moscow, however, feels it is aimed at Russia's missile force.

"Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike -- 100 percent," Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying. He added, in clear reference to the agreement, that Russia's military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them." Nogovitsyn that would include elements of strategic deterrence systems, he said, according to Interfax.
And ev'ryone knows that the best way to make a Pole back down is to threaten him ...
U.S. officials have said the timing of the deal was not meant to antagonize Russian leaders at a time when relations already are strained over the recent fighting between Russia and Georgia over the South Ossetia region.
Posted by: john frum || 08/15/2008 08:29 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Schoolyard bully, nothing else. Immature, stunted. That's it.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 8:37 Comments || Top||

#2  Ooh, look who's got some pubes all of a sudden. I think they may be biting off a little more than they can chew for their big debut though.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 9:52 Comments || Top||

#3  So how does the threat of a nuclear attack resonate in the UN?
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 9:56 Comments || Top||

#4  Good job Vlad! You've managed to piss off 700 million of the richest, most technically advanced people on the planet.

I think Russian export earnings have just peaked and will experience a decades long decline. Perhaps they can make up for it by exporting runway models.
Posted by: ed || 08/15/2008 10:44 Comments || Top||

#5  We aren't willing to do anything in Georgia, its a safe bet we will sit out an attack on poland or ukraine.

Not responding in force is a huge mistake.
Posted by: flash91 || 08/15/2008 10:47 Comments || Top||

#6  We didn't have the forces or time to respond in Georgia. All we can do is try to stop the bleeding.
Poland, however, is a different story. Easy to bring planes, tanks and ships in, member of an existing alliance and vital ally in Europe. If Ivan sticks his toe across the border, I bet there will be some pissed off GIs with a meat cleaver ready to cut it off.
Posted by: DarthVader || 08/15/2008 11:03 Comments || Top||

#7 
We don't need to respond in theater to respond.


Posted by: flash91 || 08/15/2008 11:09 Comments || Top||

#8  Ooh, you devious bastard!!!
I love how you think.


I have not seen it addressed yet, but I wonder how the emerging bourgeoisie class of russia feels about worldwide isolation and trade restrictions? I wonder if they have enough political clout to even affect this course?
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 11:29 Comments || Top||

#9  Poland is a different scenerio than Georgia. They are a member of NATO and if we back down NATO dissolves. Russia is testing NATO's resolve here by using the Chinese tactic of a rogue general saying wild things to get a reaction.

Bush should flat out ask Putin is this the official policy of the Government of Russia, to directly threaten the NATO military alliance? Or is this the ravings of a mad man?
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 12:19 Comments || Top||

#10  Somebody needs to ask Russia how a relative few missile interceptors are going to change the balance of power relative to their overall missile count. I'm beginning to think they may be more like Saddam than Hitler -- talking tough in hopes nobody will see their vulnerability behind it. Perhaps they can't afford to maintain many of their missiles. They sure can't afford another arms race.
Posted by: Darrell || 08/15/2008 20:12 Comments || Top||

#11  ION WAFF.com > IRAN WANTS GORGIA/GEORGIA BACK = IRAN GAMBLES WITH GEORGIA CRISIS [c/o ASIA TIMES].

Tehran is watching the Georgian Crisis very closely which has broader/strategic REGIONAL implications for Iran, includ vv CASPIAN-BLACK SEA REGIONS [Persian-Ottoman Empire]???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 20:27 Comments || Top||

#12  Look at the options Austin Bay as been discussing. Some think its a good idea...
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 20:52 Comments || Top||

#13  "#4 Good job Vlad! You've managed to piss off 700 million of the richest, most technically advanced people on the planet."

Speak for yourself, sport. Reaching agreement with Poland today amptly demonstrated the true purpose of the interceptors (but forget them), the true purpose of the radar in the Check republic (which will be next). U.S. is placing the radar to control the russian airspace all the way to the Ural mountains. The new Soviet Union of the America (SUA) continues its strategy of encircling Russia with military bases at every corner. All that talk about the protection from Iran and North Korea was a bunch of lies from the get go. Especially, that NK dismantled its enrichment facilities. So, now it's Iran. Excessive agressiveness, paranoia, and desire to assure total and ultimate military superiority over any even remotely conceivable adversary was always a hallmark of SUA. Some decent people in the american administration, like Henry Kissinger, were rather an exception.
Posted by: General_Comment || 08/15/2008 23:03 Comments || Top||

#14  That's right, dear General_Comment. Some people should be considerably more concerned than they are at the moment, because soon our purpose will be accomplished, and then what will they do?
Posted by: trailing daughter #1 || 08/15/2008 23:15 Comments || Top||

#15  Darn it, I forgot to change back after trailing daughter #1 posted on the physics thread. Sorry for the confusion!
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/15/2008 23:16 Comments || Top||

#16  Dear trailing daughter # 1, then those concerned people will install the same on Cuba, and in Latin America. Also, those concerned people will team up with China, although it did not have to be that way. With a combined population of 1.4 billion of so and a combined GDP exceeding that of the U.S. (or soon exceeding). You may also want to add India. That would make it about 2 billion people. Add about 2 billion muslems in the Middle East, and you are pretty much pissed off the rest of the world. How does that sound?
Posted by: General_Comment || 08/15/2008 23:47 Comments || Top||


Macedonia: Name dispute should not block NATO entry, says Rice
But it probably will. In the same vein, I'm sure we shouldn't let Liberia in because they have a flag that looks too much like ours. And Chad can't come in because their flag looks like Romania's. And no Esquimeaux, dammit! How y'gonna be in NATO with mukluks?
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I am sure that Greeks would not object if it was calling itself Vardarska Macedonia. That is actually its historical moniker, beside variants like Vardarska Bukovina. Otherwise, they have to be content to be called by the somewhat disrespectful FYROM.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 2:37 Comments || Top||

#2  "Otherwise, they have to be content to be called by the somewhat disrespectful FYROM."

They were willing to enter with that name into NATO, but Greece wasn't content with this and demanded the name issue to be resolved first in its entirety. (This was btw in violation of a previous agreement made in the 1990s that Greece would not oppose the country's entry in international organization as long as it used the FYROM moniker)

Ofcourse my belief is that the situation is altogether the reverse than Greece presents it -- they claim its the name that makes them not want to accept the Republic of Macedonia into NATO, I believe instead it's the fact they don't want them into NATO that causes them to raise the name issue yet again.

And the reason they don't want it into NATO is because Greece's governments have been the lackeys of Russia for a long time now.
Posted by: Ari.s || 08/15/2008 5:21 Comments || Top||

#3  Hmmm, interesting, Aris. Do you have some figures (yay, nay, dunno--roughly) what is the take on the issue as the general Greece population goes?

I know that Greek governments were SU/Russia lackeys in the past (ideology), but thought they were over it. Any idea why, what's in it for them, from your POV?

[hoping that I won't be chastised for inviting Aris into discussion, I'd really would like to know, and if he promises to keep it readable --short and sweet ... ;-)]
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 5:46 Comments || Top||

#4 
It's Fred's call whether Aris can stay this time.  He certainly is persistent lately about trying to have his say here.   But he was pooplisted for a reason and it wasn't done lightly.

I'm not going to block this comment for now.  Aris - a warning.   None of us mods are feeling particularly patient right now with anyone who dominates a discussion endlessly or who seems to be egging people on provocatively.

It's a "know it when we see it" subjective call, but you've been warned.
Posted by: lotp || 08/15/2008 6:29 Comments || Top||

#5  Aaaaw its only Aris , he's been trolling on here since the year dot .. Dont be so mean Mods !

iirc , before he joined the greek(?) army on national service , he was a good debator and offered insightful opinions . Then , bang - welcome to the flipside .

We have to have a favourite pet troll surely ?
Posted by: Mad Eye || 08/15/2008 7:00 Comments || Top||

#6  Like I said, the mods' patience is thin right now. We're dealing daily with attacks on the Burg at a time when there are also legitimate hot issues up for discussion and comment.

Vigorous debate is welcome. Well-honed snark is applauded. Persistent baiting, dominating threads or personal attacks are not.
Posted by: lotp || 08/15/2008 7:29 Comments || Top||

#7  Never understood people getting uptight over names.
In some situtations... he you... is appropriate...

Just don't call me Sue... {^8
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 8:37 Comments || Top||

#8  What lotp said. And don't call us Shirley  :-)
Posted by: Steve White || 08/15/2008 8:52 Comments || Top||

#9  Now that I've returned fully relaxed from our respite in lovely Door County, I'll try to behave. For a few days.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 08/15/2008 9:03 Comments || Top||

#10  ...I'll try to behave. For a few days.

Yeah, good luck ;)
Posted by: DarthVader || 08/15/2008 10:09 Comments || Top||

#11  Call me silly but what does Macedonia (under whatever name) really add to Nato? Beyond annoying other members and being a likely flashpoint to draw Nato into war.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 13:15 Comments || Top||


Vatican distances itself from 'fascism' claims
(AKI) - The Vatican has distanced itself from claims by a weekly Catholic magazine that Italy could face 'a return to fascism', under the leadership of Silvio Berlusconi. "Famiglia Cristiana (the magazine), is an important publication about the Italian Catholic reality, but it is not qualified to speak on behalf of the Holy See, nor the Italian Bishops Conference," Father Federico Lombardi, chief of the Vatican press office told Adnkronos.

The row erupted when the magazine criticised the Italian government for what it called a 'fake security emergency' after the government declared a nationwide state of emergency over the arrival of immigrants in July. Centre-right politicians later criticised the publication for being "Catho-Communist". The critique was followed by an editorial by author Beppe Del Colle who said he hoped that a 'suspicion that a new Fascism is being born was not true'.

Del Colle was citing a report by French religious organisation 'Esprit' in which it canvassed a potential return to authoritarian rule in Italy following the government's deployment of 3,000 troops in major cities to deter crime. The editorial also discussed the fingerprinting of Roma Gypsies, harsher penalties for illegal immigrants and swifter deportation procedures, following an election pledge by the new government to stop illegal immigration.

The claims by Del Colle stirred up emotions among Italian politicians across the political spectrum. Most centre-right politicians have attacked the publication, while some centre-left politicians support what was said by Del Colle. However, the director of the monthly Muslim magazine 'Famiglia Musulmana' Nizar Ramadan, was more cautious in its critique of the Berlusconi government, saying that "100 days are not enough to judge a government that will last for five years. It is true that immigration and security are not the priority for a country that has a more pressing economic problem, and (low) salaries. But in these three months, the Berlusconi government has not only cracked down on Roma (Gypsies) and illegal immigrants, it has also solved real emergencies such as the refuse crisis in Naples."

The 3,000-strong force of Italian soldiers is drawn from the Italian army, navy and air force and is working with police and paramilitary police. It is not the first time that troops have been deployed in Italian cities. In 1992 soldiers were stationed on the streets of Sicily after the Mafia killed two judges in bomb attacks. Soldiers in 1994 also patrolled the border with Slovenia in the north east to tackle illegal immigration. In 1995 the army was sent to Naples to tackle the Camorra or local Mafia.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Home Front: Politix
Rev. Rick Warren Putting Same Questions To McCain/Obama
On the same stage, but yet, not on the same stage. Interesting format
John McCain and Barack Obama bickered for weeks over the kind of debates they wanted -- but when California pastor Rick Warren asked them to put that aside and join him for a candidates forum, the answer, of course, was yes.

The two political rivals will join Warren Saturday evening at his 23,000-member Saddleback Church, taking the same stage to answer the same questions for the first time. The event is not technically a debate, or the kind of free-form joint town hall meeting McCain had advocated. Warren will ask each candidate the same set of questions separately.
And a setting where The One won't have his teleprompters. A good challenge for him: a live, large audience (he kinda likes that, but no teleprompters this time)
But the questions aren't being framed in a neutral way, so McCain had better watch out.
But the mega-church leaders ability to bring the candidates together is a testament to his clout and reputation as a centrist leader of a new evangelical agenda.

Rev. Rick Warren will host John McCain and Barack Obama at his California mega-church Saturday.
Watch the forum live on FOX News starting at 8 p.m. ET Saturday. Thank goodness the basketball team plays Saturday morning. No interference
The event is not technically a debate, or the kind of free-form joint town hall meeting McCain had advocated.
McCain to be sequestered while The One anoints the congregation first
Warren will ask each candidate the same set of questions separately.
Warren: is your wife here? Is she proud of her nation?
But the mega-church leaders ability to bring the candidates together is a testament to his clout and reputation as a centrist leader of a new evangelical agenda. Warren is an anti-abortion Southern Baptist, yet he is part of a movement to shift the Christian rights focus away from abortion and gay marriage. He turns instead to poverty, disease, illiteracy and other challenges around the world.
McCain lists himself as a Baptist
His forum Saturday will no doubt elevate his already prominent role at the intersection of religion and public life. "What Im trying to do is stake out what I call the common ground for the common good," Warren told FOX News on Friday, saying Americans are "disaffected" by both the secular left and the religious right.

"I'm neither of those," Warren said.

"Rick Warren is really the anti-Jerry Falwell," said Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College. Wolfe told FOXNews.com that Warren has the ability to broaden the evangelical agenda, but he said Warrens clout stems from a "movement on the ground."

"Hes giving them a voice, and its very important," he said. "I think he's a major figure, definitely Americas next Billy Graham."

Warren, author of the best-selling book "The Purpose-Driven Life," has with his wife, Kay, been a leading advocate for HIV/AIDS victims worldwide. That folds into his ambitious global project, called the PEACE Plan, which sends local church members on humanitarian missions abroad, where they link with members of others local churches, businesses and governments.

The program has drawn attention for its work in Rwanda, but PEACE Plan director Mark Affleck said nearly 8,000 Saddleback members have traveled to 68 countries since the program first launched in 2003.

Warren's vision, which he hopes will be replicated around the globe, addresses not just spiritual needs but practical ones. It puts less emphasis on aid organizations or grants and more on the faith and deeds of individual Christians.

And the presidential candidates are eager to associate themselves with this pastor of international acclaim. "Neither can be harmed by this. Both will benefit from this," Wolfe said, adding that Obama will probably benefit more because its a "given" that Republicans are associated with evangelical churches.

But it is McCain who has been seen as struggling talking about his religious faith, even though his views fall more in line with those of evangelicals.

Unlike many Democrats, Obama has proved comfortable talking about his Christian faith publicly.
Even though the good Rev. Wright is under the bus ...
The campaign has been diligently courting religious voters with a presence on Christian radio and blogs and through "American Values Forums" and other events.

Hot-button campaign issues are expected to be off the table Saturday -- instead Warren will touch on his broader priorities. Warren representative A. Larry Ross said the forum will cycle through four areas: stewardship, leadership, worldview and Americas role in the world.
Stewardship: Obama — community activist, Senator McCain — retired Navy officer, Senator
Leadership: Obama — community activist, 143 days Senator McCain — retired Navy officer, Senator for years
Worldview: Obama — talk to all our enemies, McCain — bomb, bomb bomb Iran
America's role in the world: Obama statement on Russia's invasion of Georgia, we all just need to get together and talk about this thing, McCain — we got a huge problem with Russia

"Pastor Rick feels that a lot of these debates produce more heat than light, and he wanted to give the candidates the opportunity for more long-form answers," Ross said.
Oh good, we get lots of uhhs, ands, hummmm and uuhhhhs from The One
Each candidate will have about 50 minutes with Warren. Obama will go first, and McCain will not be allowed to hear the questions that are being asked. The two candidates will then meet briefly on stage for a handshake and photo op before McCain takes his turn.
Gotta get that photo op in there
Warren does not endorse presidential candidates. Though he has faced some pressure from older-guard evangelicals who oppose broadening their agenda, Warren remains unfazed. "When you try to do a middle ground, youve got enemies on both sides," Warren said.

And while evangelicals overwhelmingly supported President Bush in the last two elections, Warren said neither candidate can take that vote for granted. "I don't know whats going to happen with the evangelical vote. Nobodys ever predicted it correctly and I certainly wouldn't try to do that," he said. "It's always been misunderstood to be a monolith -- it isn't."
Posted by: Sherry || 08/15/2008 19:15 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


NYTimes does original reporting on J Edwards
Lawyers’ Ties Hint at Extent of Hiding Edwards’s Affair
By SERGE F. KOVALESKI and MIKE MCINTIRE [NYTimes - really]
Published: August 14, 2008

As tabloid reports of a sex scandal threatened former Senator John Edwards’s presidential campaign last December on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, two lawyers surfaced with written statements that appeared to exonerate the candidate.

... [this is the scoop] The lawyers are linked through Fred Baron, a wealthy Dallas lawyer and former finance chairman for the Edwards campaign who was a key player in the campaign’s response to the scandal. Mr. Gordon has worked with Mr. Baron on class-action personal injury cases, and Ms. Marple helped defend a lawsuit brought against both men and their law firms by an asbestos manufacturer.

After initially saying that he did not know how the lawyers were chosen to represent Ms. Hunter and Mr. Young, Mr. Baron acknowledged that he might have played a role....

-------
and on the front page of some 8-15 editions too!!!
Posted by: mhw || 08/15/2008 12:48 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Everyone is talking except Edwards.
Posted by: Pliny Sleash8027 || 08/15/2008 13:33 Comments || Top||

#2  You're dead to us, John.
Dead...
Posted by: The New York Times || 08/15/2008 17:12 Comments || Top||

#3  NY Times: This is not the John Edwards that we used to know.
Posted by: DMFD || 08/15/2008 19:10 Comments || Top||


Rap song calls for death of O'Reilly, Malkin
Posted by: lotp || 08/15/2008 09:13 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Despicable!
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/15/2008 9:31 Comments || Top||

#2  Oh, look! They're goofy wannabe white boys!
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/15/2008 9:51 Comments || Top||

#3  I beieve the popular term is.... WIGGER!
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/15/2008 10:23 Comments || Top||

#4  Guess I'd better set the Tivo for The Factor tonight... Should I watch the whole show or just jump forward to Pinheads?
Posted by: Capsu78 || 08/15/2008 10:57 Comments || Top||

#5  Unknown rap group now has national attention. Super-liberalism is the new satanism. You want to shock parents then get O'Reilly and company pissed at you. MOst of society will disapprove but not come down too hard because so many don't like O'Reilly.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 08/15/2008 11:01 Comments || Top||

#6  Jeez, that's cute. And, which candidate are they supporting ??? Oh yeah,,,thought so.
Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2700 || 08/15/2008 11:02 Comments || Top||

#7  Well, there are several South Park episodes where celebrities get killed. They're funny as hell too. Just goes to show you there's no accounting for taste.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 11:21 Comments || Top||

#8  My brother in law has discovered a cure for this. When he son came down with it, his answer to the perpetual "Waddup?" was finally "My foot up your ass if you don't stop acting like some ghetto clown, white boy."
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/15/2008 11:27 Comments || Top||

#9  If you strike them down you'll only make their message more powerful than before. And...you'll be working you way towards Fort Sumter Part Deux.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 08/15/2008 14:24 Comments || Top||


Obama and Clinton Make Deal: Hillary Gets Convention Vote
I'm waiting for the August Surprise. Hillary prob'ly is, too, hoping she can pull it off.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Hark! What's that I hear? Could it be the mellow sound of knives being sharpened in the Clinton camp?
Posted by: AzCat || 08/15/2008 0:52 Comments || Top||

#2  Heated corn kernels!
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 2:25 Comments || Top||

#3  Here is the headline I'm waiting for:

Powell and Clinton Make Deal....
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/15/2008 9:38 Comments || Top||

#4  Boy, Obama is really showing himself to be an amateur.

I almost find myself rooting for Hill, just to see if she pull it off. And just so we can see Obama and Order of The One go, "WTF just happened??!?!?"
Posted by: Anon4021 || 08/15/2008 10:21 Comments || Top||

#5  If I were the Obamessiah, I'd be checking behind all my podiums for a trap door!
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 08/15/2008 12:44 Comments || Top||

#6  ya'know, since it appears that he folded this quickly in an internal dispute, just how strong will he be against some foreign country?
(rhetorical question, no need to answer.)

wonder what the great white shark population is this time of year off Diamond Head, and if they have developed a taste for waffles????
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 08/15/2008 13:18 Comments || Top||

#7  It's tiger sharks off Diamond Head. They are very fearsome but I think this particular waffle needs to worry a whole lot more about the sharks in Denver. Hope y'all been stocking up on popcorn.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 08/15/2008 15:46 Comments || Top||

#8  Best to swim fast when swimming amongst sharks.
Posted by: JohnQC || 08/15/2008 19:30 Comments || Top||


Book on Obama blasted for ''vicious innuendo''
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Corsi is a nut, clearly part of the tinfoil hat crowd but he's raised some valid issues here. Hugh Hewitt's show yesterday contains tons of excellent commentary.
Posted by: AzCat || 08/15/2008 0:51 Comments || Top||

#2  For the Bama worshippers, anything less than fulsome, over-the-top praise is "vicious innuendo."

Pfeh.
Posted by: Spike Speaque2226 || 08/15/2008 2:53 Comments || Top||

#3  The same as the Swift Boat book; they can't refute the content so they go after the author.

If the first book were a lie Kerry would have had Corsi in court in a heartbeat. I don't think this one will be taken to court either. But the Dem's will try to label Corsi as the second son (bastard child even) of Satan.
Posted by: tipover || 08/15/2008 2:54 Comments || Top||

#4  Writers have every righ to go with what they know. Obama's evasions set him up for speculation. What else is he concealing?
Posted by: McZoid || 08/15/2008 6:19 Comments || Top||

#5  The one thing I know is this: if Senator Obama wins in November, on January 21st, dissent will no longer be patriotic.
Posted by: Steve White || 08/15/2008 8:54 Comments || Top||

#6  The comment "we don't know who Barack Obama is" could begin to be resolved by a reading of his original birth certificate.
Posted by: Besoeker || 08/15/2008 9:01 Comments || Top||

#7  The one thing I know is this: if Senator Obama wins in November, on January 21st, dissent will no longer be patriotic.
Posted by: Steve White 2008-08-15 08:54


Steve, you couldn't be more correct.
Posted by: Jolutch Mussolini7800 || 08/15/2008 10:54 Comments || Top||

#8  The 'Fairness Doctrine' will be only the beginning.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/15/2008 11:05 Comments || Top||

#9  Perhaps an Obama operative will buy Corsi's book in England and then sue.
Posted by: ed || 08/15/2008 11:08 Comments || Top||

#10  Or in Canada and sic the Human Rights Commission on Corsi.....
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/15/2008 11:26 Comments || Top||

#11  even Commentary has pointed out several mistakes in the book.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 11:46 Comments || Top||

#12  The one thing I know is this: if Senator Obama wins in November, on January 21st, dissent will no longer be patriotic.

maybe not to Obama. Lots of the lefties have been on Obamas case for a while though.

anyway, I cant see why respect for dissent means he SHOULDNT call this book vicious innuendo.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 11:48 Comments || Top||

#13  No book is needed for any experienced and savvy observer to see Obama is a remarkably inexperienced, ignorant mediocrity who would be a perfect fit for a low-level Schedule C slot at HHS. President?? Er, not so much.

That someone with his nearly unbelievably reckless and politically fatal background (associations, associates, south side sleaze, etc.) could go beyond a local political market, much less become a major party prez candidate, is a truly astonishing and troubling thing.

Of course, if the "press" did what was long considered its job, it's doubtful that Obama would have done any better than you'd expect a green and unimpressive marginal figure to do.

But just reflect for a second on how reckless and lacking in judgement a politician with lofty ambitions has to be to live much of Obama's life the way he did for a long time. Unless he somehow descried that the "press" would morph almost completely into a tame and panting servant of one party such that one could do whatever one wanted and still rise.

A long-time friend who worked for years for a liberal Illinois senator put it perfectly: Obama's behavior and associations were perfect to ensure a long career in a safe city/state seat in an area like the south side. Up to now, though, it would have been a cage, and set a ceiling on any further march up the ladder.

As for "vicious innuendo" - compared to the vicious slander and innuendo dumped on Bush - including by public figures, senators, etc. - the Messiah's treatment has been as soft ss a baby's bottom.

That Obama is even a candidate is humiliating for the US - at least to anyone with a clue, whcih I understand seems to constitute a small beleagured minority .....
Posted by: Verlaine || 08/15/2008 12:45 Comments || Top||

#14  I cant see why respect for dissent means he SHOULDNT call this book vicious innuendo.

Perhaps because, despite the personal shortcomings of the author, the overwhelming majority of the information presented appears to be fact, as mostly confirmed by the Obama's camp's spin and evasion.

If they're having this much trouble with Corsi's book one wonders how they'll respond to Feddoso and his far better documented tome. Corsi's book will do damage but Feddoso's is a game-changer.
Posted by: AzCat || 08/15/2008 14:44 Comments || Top||

#15  Like everything else about BHO, (even though he purports to not want to play the "race card"), ANY crittque of his holiness is considered blasphemy. Pure and utter bull droppings.
Posted by: WolfDog || 08/15/2008 14:54 Comments || Top||

#16  Perhaps because, despite the personal shortcomings of the author, the overwhelming majority of the information presented appears to be fact, as mostly confirmed by the Obama's camp's spin and evasion.

Im not sure how to quantify information. From what I saw on the Commentary site (I was there looking for Max boot stuff on stinger missiles) there are a couple of outright errors. I would be very surprised if there wasnt also a lot of spin, of a kind that someone sympathetic to Obama would see as vicious.

Im sure there are also lots of factoids that taken in isolation are quite true, as there are, IIUC, in left wing hit books as well. Thats the game afterall to take factoids and spin them. And the game on the extremes is to not just spin them, but to spin them viciously. hell, isnt that how they build the "north american union" case as well?

Now, of course all of the above does prove its vicious. I will have to go take a look at some places I trust to get a better idea, although for the life of me, Im still more interested in georgia.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 15:01 Comments || Top||

#17  should be "doesnt prove it vicious"
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 15:02 Comments || Top||

#18  and remember what I said - not that you cant make the case that its not vicious. Im sure many can and will try, and good luck to em. But I dont see that CALLING it vicious amounts to contempt for dissent. I can call Michael Moore viciouos (and I believe I have over the years) despite some true factoids, and while some leftie could call ME wrong, I defy him to say I disrespect dissent.


Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 15:04 Comments || Top||

#19  Two arguments with problems.

The first is the argument from authority.
X said Y.
X is smart.
Thus Y must be true.

The second is the argument from disauthority.
X said Y.
X was wrong about Z.
Thus X must be wrong about Y.

Both arguments are bad.

Posted by: mhw || 08/15/2008 15:58 Comments || Top||

#20  From what I saw on the Commentary site (I was there looking for Max boot stuff on stinger missiles) there are a couple of outright errors.

Given the amount of effort that's been expended in attempting to bury, whitewash, or ignore Obama's past I'd be rather amazed if the book contained only "... a couple of errors." And with Corsi it goes without saying that there'll be spin ... just as there has been from the Obama camp in their attempts to smear Corsi and deride his book.

However, I'll stand by my earlier statement that the Freddoso's book will be a game-changer. The Obama camp will have a very tough time evading the well-documented facts therein. Corsi's work is lightweight in comparison.
Posted by: AzCat || 08/15/2008 16:41 Comments || Top||

#21  I think the concern about this book is that it came out August 1st, and this weekend will hit #1 on the New York Times political best sellers list. That's an awful lot of paying readers. Coupled with the fact that even if Candidate Obama wins over half of Senator Clinton's voters, that still isn't enough to win the election in November. Or so I heard on NPR the other day.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/15/2008 23:46 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Nawaz opposes immunity for Perv
As speculation mounted that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf would resign instead of face impeachment, a leader of the new ruling coalition said Thursday that the embattled former army chief should not be granted legal immunity.

Musharraf has not indicated publicly that he will step down, though his allies acknowledged this week that quitting is an option. His rivals say they could introduce an impeachment motion in parliament as early as next week, while observers say the president may be holding out for guarantees he will not face criminal charges if he does resign.

During a speech to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day Thursday, Musharraf called for reconciliation, but did not mention the moves against him. "I appeal to all elements to adopt an approach of reconciliation so that there is political stability and we can firmly confront the real problems facing the country," Musharraf said.

But in his own Independence Day address, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose party is a member of the ruling coalition, ruled out "safe passage" for Musharraf.

Sharif, who Musharraf pushed out of power in a 1999 coup, alleged the president had violated the constitution and compromised the nation's sovereignty, a reference to the president's alliance with the U.S. in the war on terror. Sharif's party has previously not only demanded Musharraf's impeachment but also called for him to be tried for treason -- which carries the death penalty.

"Should safe passage be given to someone who has done this to Pakistan?" Sharif asked a crowd in the eastern city of Lahore. "He wants safe passage by breaking Pakistan's law. He wants safe passage by breaking Pakistan's constitution. He is asking for safe passage by selling out Pakistan's sovereignty."
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Perv deal done
The coalition government has offered indemnity and security to President Pervez Musharraf if he resigns, sources privy to the developments said on Thursday.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif has agreed to change his rigid stance against the president, who is likely to finalise a decision in the next few days. The drop scene is likely in a few days, the sources said.

Charge sheet: A meeting to continue the drafting of a charge sheet against Musharraf could not proceed on Thursday after the PML-N lost interest in the activity, sources said. PML-N leader Ishaq Dar said he could not attend the meeting because he was preoccupied with Independence Day celebrations. Dar -- who was a finance minister in the coalition government before all ministers from his party resigned following disagreement on the framework for the restoration of judges sacked by Musharraf on November 3, 2007 -- said he would begin attending the meeting when the impeachment proceedings begin.

They said the United States, the United Kingdom and Arab rulers had been pressuring the government for a safe exit for Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup against Nawaz in 1999 and has been a US ally in the international war on terror since September 2001. American and British diplomats reportedly discussed the matter directly with Nawaz Sharif after other parties in the ruling coalition told them Nawaz was not willing to show flexibility.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  Give him asylum in the US and make a big show of giving him an office in Langley, and watch the heartburn begin...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/15/2008 11:42 Comments || Top||

#2  why would we do that? hes not particularly popular with anyone in Pakistan, not even the military. hes worth little to us in office, and ZERO out of office.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 11:45 Comments || Top||

#3  It doesn't have to make sense to freak out conspiracy theorists. I said make a big show of doing it. That's not the same as doing it...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 08/15/2008 12:33 Comments || Top||

#4  it would also freak out some people we'd like to be on our side.
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 12:40 Comments || Top||

#5  How about asylum at Gitmo. He could have a little villa there and a 80' sailing boat and we could pay him to be present for the birthday parties of the illegal combatants, etc.
Posted by: mhw || 08/15/2008 14:37 Comments || Top||

#6  President General Dr. Musharref knows an awful lot about things the Pakistani ruling elite would rather not be confirmed, since he ordered quite a bit of it. Lots of heart attacks and strokes if he has a desk at Langley, like the man or not.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/15/2008 23:50 Comments || Top||


Science & Technology
Spooky Action At A Distance Proven - Red Letter Day For Physics
Physicists at the University of Geneva achieved the weird result by creating a pair of ‘entangled’ photons, separating them, then sending them down a fibre optic cable to the Swiss villages of Satigny and Jussy, some 18 kilometres apart.

The researchers found that when each photon reached its destination, it could instantly sense its twin’s behaviour without any direct communication. The finding does not violate the laws of quantum mechanics, the theory that physicists use to describe the behaviour of very small systems.

Rather, it shows just how quantum mechanics can defy everyday expectation, says Nicolas Gisin, the researcher who led the study. “Our experiment just puts the finger where it hurts,” he says. The study is published in Nature.

But the new experiment shows that direct communication between the photons (at least as we know it) is simply impossible. The team simultaneously measured several properties of both photons, such as phase, when they arrived at their villages and found that they did indeed have a spooky awareness of each other’s behaviour.

On the basis of their measurements, the team concluded that if the photons had communicated, they must have done so at least 100,000 times faster than the speed of light — something nearly all physicists thought would be impossible. In other words, these photons cannot know about each other through any sort of normal exchange of information.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Wonderful!
Posted by: 3dc || 08/15/2008 0:21 Comments || Top||

#2  They've been doing some really spooky research with Higgs boson particles along the same lines. I finally understood it, but I had to lose 10% of my brain capacity first.
Star Trek transporters by the 22nd century.
Posted by: Mizzou Mafia || 08/15/2008 0:33 Comments || Top||

#3  They are physic.
Posted by: DarthVader || 08/15/2008 0:49 Comments || Top||

#4  Time for some "field trials".
Posted by: Kirk || 08/15/2008 1:04 Comments || Top||

#5  Entanglement is a default property of 5-d hyperspace. To disentangle them, you'd need 7-d hyperspace. It is not really disentanglement, but you project them going back and forth on the time line (4-d hyperspatial). You can apply a pressure for the net positive time flow (4-d causal relationship) via 9-d hyperspace. But in order to do that, you need to be in 11-d hyperspace. In fact, you can do any type of projection there, not only form causal relationships, but also violate them as you please.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 2:07 Comments || Top||

#6  Yeh. Wot he said..
Posted by: Bunyip || 08/15/2008 3:54 Comments || Top||

#7  from what I read, we know the 2 particles are the same but we can never know what that state is at any particular time if we measure it
Posted by: Funkymonkey || 08/15/2008 4:12 Comments || Top||

#8  because measure it disturbs the state?
Posted by: Funkymonkey || 08/15/2008 4:13 Comments || Top||

#9  No. Although there is an assumption that the collapse of wave function is due to the fact of observation (somehow--because empirically it looks like it), in a strict sense this is not true. It is due to the fact that we are dealing with a hyperdimensional projection and the moment we elect one aspect into focus within our 4-d matrix, we make another aspect unavailable to our perception or instruments. Simplifying here a bit, but that's the gist of it.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 5:32 Comments || Top||

#10  If you can prove it, but not explain it, are you sure you really understand it?

Or did Spike explain it, just above?
Posted by: Bobby || 08/15/2008 6:13 Comments || Top||

#11  I favour Hidden variables, rather than spooky action.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 08/15/2008 6:14 Comments || Top||

#12  The obvious symmetry suggests some interaction over space. It also implies the existence of smaller discrete units.
Posted by: McZoid || 08/15/2008 6:23 Comments || Top||

#13  From the headline I thought this was a remote-controlled C130 Gunship.
Thsi would be like saying a particle occupied two different spaces at the same time.
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 08/15/2008 7:36 Comments || Top||

#14  Yea, you can say that, if you bear in mind that it's a projection, a crude analogy would be seeing a reflection in a mirror.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 8:29 Comments || Top||

#15  Hidden variables don't work, by the experiments that confirmed Bell's theorem.
Posted by: Eric Jablow || 08/15/2008 8:32 Comments || Top||

#16  Humph. I thought this article was gonna be about AC-130 Gunships.
Posted by: Parabellum || 08/15/2008 8:44 Comments || Top||

#17  5-d hyperspace is difficult for most physicists to visualize. Just tell us how it will improve cell phone reception and we'll accept it on that premise.
Seriously though, proton interaction is much easier to generate, but when you have a couple billion $$$ in a facility, you need to have some WOW factor built into the research.
Interesting work, its hard to put together the puzzle when people are still finding pieces.
Posted by: bigjim-ky || 08/15/2008 9:50 Comments || Top||

#18  Guys - would you please use smaller words and speak slower? My box of crayons only has eight colors in it. You are using the box of 64.
Posted by: GORT || 08/15/2008 9:54 Comments || Top||

#19  Could anyone locate Dr. Heisenberg for comment?
Posted by: Anon4021 || 08/15/2008 10:17 Comments || Top||

#20  Oh my.. where is Mucky when you need some 'splaining??
Posted by: TomAnon || 08/15/2008 10:22 Comments || Top||

#21  Just tell us how it will improve cell phone reception and we'll accept it on that premise.

Working on it.

Actually, no.;-)
It won't improve a cell phone reception.

So far, it is in a mathematical model stage. But it makes quite a bit of sense and there is no real "need" to "visualize" it, although it is not impossible, by applying a reduction via analogy. There are some interesting implications that I'll be trying to get tested as/when I get some funding. Fortunately, it won't take a collider to do it.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 10:24 Comments || Top||

#22  Well as long as you don't cross the beams and have the phase inverter overloading the warp coil....

Sorry folks but this is a tad over my head. And if you think this is bad some of the comments in the article are even worse.

But it does sound interesting....
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/15/2008 10:32 Comments || Top||

#23  Does this mean that my Tachion Flux Drive Interdimensional Transport system is obsolete?
Posted by: James Carville || 08/15/2008 10:44 Comments || Top||

#24  TomAnon,

Not to worry. Joe Mendiola will be coming along soon to make it all crystal clear.
Posted by: Jolutch Mussolini7800 || 08/15/2008 10:50 Comments || Top||

#25  Tachion Flux Drive is to 'yesterday'. Nowdays you need an Infinite Improbility Drive to be really cool and pick up the really hot chicks....

The Infinite Improbability Drive is a wonderful new method of crossing interstellar distances in a few seconds; without all that tedious mucking about in hyperspace. As the Improbability Drive reaches infinite improbability, it passes through every conceivable point in every conceivable universe almost simultaneously. In other words, you're never sure where you'll end up or even what species you'll be when you get there. It's therefore important to dress accordingly. The Infinite Improbability Drive was invented following research into finite improbability which was often used to break the ice at parties by making all the molecules in the hostess' undergarments leap one foot simultaneously to the left in accordance with the theory of indeterminacy. Many respectable physicists said they weren't going to stand for that sort of thing, partly because it was a debasement of science, but mostly because they didn't get invited to those sort of parties.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/15/2008 10:59 Comments || Top||

#26  A week or two I read an article about a quantum entangled photon experiment where a signal pulse exited a fiber optic before it had entered it. In essence, it showed the future. I want to take one of those machines to a Vegas rou_lette wheel.
Posted by: ed || 08/15/2008 11:02 Comments || Top||

#27  Ed, the problem is in piggybacking some information on the participating particles.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 11:10 Comments || Top||

#28  I think it rather obvious that time is quantised and not a linear dimension.

That's why I disagree with these sort of explanations.

The particles all share an initial state. There's no magic needed.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 08/15/2008 11:40 Comments || Top||

#29  Can you point me to a paper that explains your model, Spike? Your nic didn't show up on arXiv :-)
Posted by: James || 08/15/2008 11:56 Comments || Top||

#30  James, It didn't? I'll raise hell!

Kidding. ;-)

Not published, yet. Testing comes first. But don't worry, not going anywhere and when I can put it out, you'll be the first to know.
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 12:17 Comments || Top||

#31  or when you observe photon #1, something goes backward in time and changes photon #2
Posted by: mhw || 08/15/2008 12:55 Comments || Top||

#32  But will it come to my house and program the VCR? P-u-l-l-ease????
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 08/15/2008 13:23 Comments || Top||

#33  I think that is prohibited by the Union of Entangled Protons - its not in their Labor Contract, USN.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 08/15/2008 13:42 Comments || Top||

#34  sigh.

I continue to be amazed that people continue to belive that time is a dimension. It is NOT: a true dimension is navigable and has units of length. Going from 3 to 4 dimensions is EXACTLY the same as going from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3: go "perpendicular" to all existing dimensions. This has been known for decades. Sheesh, has Abbot's "Flatland" been put on The Index and banned, with all copies burned?

The confusion of time with the fourth dimension is due to misinterpretation of one of Einstein's arguments that two events seen as simultaneous in one frame of reference will not be seen as simultaneous in another. In showing this, he set noted that information of an event has to be carried by "light" (electromagnetic waves at some frequency). The light carrying the information of the event would travel away from the origin in a sphere. the "event" would be recorded only when the "wavefront" of that sphere struck an observer. however, because light travels at a certain speed, the 'event" would be observed some time after the event happened. That, in turn, is related to the distance from the event that the observer is at. Einstein set up an equation that involved the Pythagorean theorem, but required translating the time of travel into distance travelled (ct). Some idiot, reading that "c" (the speed of light) is constant, proceeded to assume that "c" was dimensionless, and thus assumed T was a "dimension" since it had to have length to be factored into the distance equation. It actually is a constant velocity, so "ct" is a distance, representing the radius of the sphere 't' time units after the event if it expanded at the rate of 'c'.

This result is, to me, evidence of higher dimensions. The number of dimensions is still open to question, but if one showed as much imagination as Square in "Flatland", the possiblity of more than three dimensions is obvious. The inability to "see" three dimensions is a limitation imposed by the nature of our instrumentation: every last bit of it is constructed of matter, and if matter is a strictly three dimensional entity, its limited to detecting phenomena possessing effects that only affect three dimensional entities.
Posted by: Ptah || 08/15/2008 14:08 Comments || Top||

#35  Thanks CF. Now that that is cleared up i think i will head off to the hills to Cascade Days. commune with nature and swill mass quantites of fermented beverages.
Posted by: USN, Ret. || 08/15/2008 15:52 Comments || Top||

#36  Ptah, my 2c worth as a geneticist. Causal relationships have selective value, ie if you know what a causal relationship is and can exploit it then your odds increase in the natural selection 'lottery'.

So there may (or may not) be non-causal relationships, but because they have no evolutionary value, we are oblivious to them.

Posted by: phil_b || 08/15/2008 16:05 Comments || Top||

#37  ptah,

I'm pretty sure that Minkowski space implies 4 dimensions.

I personally believe that there IS a "time dimension" (polarisation space), it's just extremely small and circular. This dimension allows the universe to recurse/self interact/square and produce the universe state for T+1.

All objects in the universe move at ct, it's just that non-light objects can rotate into the time dimension in order to "slow down". The sub light particles perceived time is based on the crossing of the light line, i.e. faster particles run slower.

With this formulation you basically get Einsteinian space-time with less tricks.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 08/15/2008 16:08 Comments || Top||

#38  Pebbles, time is not a dimension, let alone a small circular thingie. It is a property of projection from a higher dimension into a lower dimension. In a strict sense, time is not. ;-)
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 18:17 Comments || Top||

#39  Well guys that is all fine and good and we all know Albert was a genius HOWEVER, is there anyway to retrofit an infinity probability drive to my Interdimensional Transport Unit?

Or if that is not an option, I did hear that there is some weird stuff going on with proton strings and dark matter that could help me out.

I am actually trying to go back in time to see if I can get some $0.35 per gallon gas for my politically incorrect SUV.
Posted by: James Carville || 08/15/2008 18:52 Comments || Top||

#40  proton strings

I think they are no longer available, if they ever were. Or do you mean strings of protons? If you don't mind some extra neutrons and electrons, use nylon thread as a good substitute. It's cheaper than nanotubes. ;-)

and dark matter

DarkWing Duck may be as helpful.
Both are from Mythospace. ;-)
Posted by: Spike Uniter || 08/15/2008 19:30 Comments || Top||

#41  WAFF.com > US OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH BEGINS STUDY OF LASER [super]COMMUNICATIONS; + THE FUTURE ARRIVES EARLY {Planned Continuing expansion of USAF Raptor/Predator UAV FLeet + MilOps]. 300 ea. since 2007 > MORE PER-UNIT NEW + IMPROVED WAR CAPABIL-MISSIONS, + MILYUHNS AND ZILYUHNS OF 'EM???
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 21:34 Comments || Top||

#42  Phil_b, what about X-rays, cosmic rays, microwaves, and radio waves? These are not perceptible, yet we have instrumentation that detects them and maps them to perceptibility.

My point is that material objects, including human sense organs and scientific instrumentation that broadens and extends our sense organs, may be of limited use in detecting objects of higher dimension if they are limited to three dimensions.
Posted by: Ptah || 08/15/2008 22:27 Comments || Top||

#43  In a strict sense, time is not. ;-)

Which clearly explains why I always seem to arrive late, even when I don't get lost along the way. Thanks, Spike Uniter! Ptah, trailing daughter #1 introduced me to Flatland.

Heinlein wrote about the twins effect in one of his juveniles. Although in his story it was real twins, communicating telepathically, one remaining on Earth while the other joined a team exploring the near bits of the galaxy.
Posted by: trailing wife || 08/15/2008 22:59 Comments || Top||

#44  #30 Not published, yet. Testing comes first.

It is already published, but of course testing will come first. Later.
Posted by: trailing daughter #1 || 08/15/2008 23:11 Comments || Top||

#45  From the point of view of the photons, everything happens at once.

As far as the experiment goes, this isn't new, just a further refinement.

The lesson: it's a small world, after all.

Spike Uniter: reference, please.
Posted by: KBK || 08/15/2008 23:59 Comments || Top||


Intel Releases Interface Spec For USB 3.0
Intel has released a draft specification for an interface that allows a Super-Speed USB host controller, which could be an expansion card or built into a PC, to communicate with the operating system.

The Extensible Host Controller Interface draft specification revision 0.9 was released Wednesday for Super-Speed USB, officially called USB 3.0. USB connectors are used to attach peripherals, such as printers and external hard drives, to a PC. USB 3.0, which has a data rate of 600 Mbps, is the fastest USB technology to date.

The Intel specification describes the registers and data structures used in communications between the system software and hardware. The specification is available under royalty free licensing terms to all members and contributors of the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, which is responsible for the development of the specification.

Intel in June tried to quell what it called "speculation" on tech sites that it was creating the USB 3.0 specification itself and that the standard uses technology from another industry technology group. The chipmaker said in its company blog that the misconceptions stemmed from Intel's development of the host controller specification, which Intel said is a separate effort by Intel.

"Think of the host controller spec as a 'Dummies Guide' to building a USB 3.0 compatible piece of silicon; it is not the USB 3.0 specification itself," Intel spokesman Nick Knupffer said.

Intel also said USB 3.0 does not borrow heavily from technology developed by the PCI Special Interests Group, which developed the PCI Express architecture used in attaching graphics cards and other components to motherboards. Intel contributed to both the USB and PCI Express specifications, but has not taken technology from the latter for the former, Knupffer said.
Posted by: Fred || 08/15/2008 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  With the low price of red light lasers today, by now we should have laser computer bus architecture. USB 3.0 should instead be a fiber optic cable standard.

All computers should need should be a power cord, fiber optic and wireless.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 08/15/2008 0:22 Comments || Top||

#2  I believe the diodes are too slow to keep up.
Posted by: gorb || 08/15/2008 3:32 Comments || Top||

#3  Fiber = expensive.
Posted by: gromky || 08/15/2008 4:03 Comments || Top||

#4  backward compatibility for us quasi luddites?
Posted by: liberalhawk || 08/15/2008 9:28 Comments || Top||


Home Front Economy
Oil touches 3-month low on stronger US dollar
NEW YORK - Oil fell to its lowest price in three months Friday, briefly touching the $111 level after the dollar muscled higher and OPEC predicted the world's thirst for fuel next year will fall to its lowest point since 2002.

Light, sweet crude for September delivery fell $1.24 to settle at $113.77 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after falling to $111.34, its lowest price since May 2 and more than $35 — or 24 percent — below its July 11 trading record above $147.

As high energy costs force countries around the globe to cut back on consumption, crude prices have plummeted and are now within striking distance of $100 a barrel, a level first reached Feb. 19.

At the pump, retail gas prices also continued falling, with a gallon of regular shedding about half a penny overnight to a new national average of $3.771, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. Gas peaked at $4.114 on July 17.
Paid 3.55 this morning.
Crude fell after the dollar gained strength against the euro on U.S. data showing that industrial output rose more than expected in July. The 15-nation euro has lost some of its luster compared to its American rival amid growing evidence that European economies are slowing. The euro bought $1.4675 in trading Friday, down from $1.4811 late Thursday. A rising dollar typically pushes oil prices lower as investors who buy crude and other commodities as hedges against inflation start dumping their positions to cut their losses. A stronger greenback also makes dollar-denominated commodities more expensive to overseas buyers, further eroding demand.

"The dollar is on fire again so that's causing people to re-evaluate everything," said Phil Flynn, oil analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago. "It means oil prices could fall dramatically. We could see prices get to double digits if this continues."
Posted by: tu3031 || 08/15/2008 17:25 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Here on Guam, the good news is that it was just announced in vari Guam News that gas pump prices are going down another ten cents - the BAD NEWS is that many of the local Name-Brand Gas Stas. did NOT = were slow to redux to from the last, most recent price cut.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 08/15/2008 18:35 Comments || Top||



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Fri 2008-08-15
  Gunships Blast Pakistani Madrassa; Faqir Mohammad rumored titzup
Thu 2008-08-14
  Feds: Siddique wanted to poison Worst President Ever
Wed 2008-08-13
   Russian troops roll into strategic Georgian city
Tue 2008-08-12
  Israel 'proposes West Bank deal'
Mon 2008-08-11
  Taliban take control of Khar suburbs as Zardari, Nawaz, Fazl jockey for presidency
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  Russia invades Georgia
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Mon 2008-08-04
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