What are we up to on Signs and Portents?
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian village was left baffled Thursday after its lake disappeared overnight.
"Volodya, have you seen the lake?"
NTV television showed pictures of a giant muddy hole bathed in summer sun, while fishermen from the village of Bolotnikovo looked on disconsolately. "It is very dangerous. If a person had been in this disaster, he would have had almost no chance of survival. The trees flew downwards, under the ground," said Dmitry Zaitsev, a local Emergencies Ministry official interviewed by the channel. Hellgate. Gotta be.
Officials in Nizhegorodskaya region, on the Volga river east of Moscow, said water in the lake might have been sucked down into an underground water-course or cave system, but some villagers had more sinister explanations. "I am thinking, well, America has finally got to us," said one old woman, as she sat on the ground outside her house. looks like Granny blames Bush...
LEavE OnE mILLioN RuBLes iN sMaLL bILLs oR yOU wIll nEVer SEe YoUR LaKE aliVE aGain!
#19
Oops - they used to be for pumps and santiation devices; now they're for Christian write-offs and tsunami. I guess the Googleniki's algorithms match a Frinch-soundin' name with Tsunamis and charitable stuff. Brilliant.
#22
I see the Zionist Evap-o-Ray is doing well in initial testing.
Posted by: Dar ||
05/19/2005 18:50 Comments ||
Top||
#23
Officials in Nizhegorodskaya region, on the Volga river east of Moscow, said water in the lake might have been sucked down into an underground water-course or cave system,
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/19/2005 22:33 Comments ||
Top||
#29
"I am thinking, well, America has finally got to us," said one old woman.... OOPS! Looks like ya got da goods on us granma. What we did was transport a Florida sink hole to Bolotnikovo, installed it during the night and then the next morning pulled the plug. Voila! The old disappearing lake trick.
#30
Funny, tu and the rest. Actually lakes dissapearing overnight is not that uncommon - Limestone is riddled with underground water courses that get blocked with mud/clay, blockade springs a leak, lake drains away.
A Russian court has ruled that an astrologer can sue NASA over plans to bombard a comet whose destruction would "disrupt the natural balance of the universe". Reversing a lower court, the panel ruled that it was appropriate for Russia to take jurisdiction over Marina Bai's lawsuit, which demands $310 million. According to her lawyer, Alexandra Molokhova, Ms. Bai "believes that the project infringes upon her spiritual and life values, as well as the natural life of the cosmos".
#1
Ms Bai, methinks you're about to learn first hand (no pun intended)what PepsiCo president Indra Nooyi was talking about at Columbia University the other day.
Marina Bai says NASAâs Deep Impact space probe, which is due to hit the Tempel 1 comet on July 4, is a âterrorist actâ.
She claims it is also a personal assault on her grandparents as the comet heralded the beginning of their relationship. One court has already thrown out her case on the grounds that Nasa has immunity from prosecution in Russia. Baiâs lawyer has taken the case to a higher court which is debating if Nasa is in fact represented in Russia through the US embassy in Moscow.
#1
Hit and miss. But the hits are hilarious. Scroll down to today's Hunter Thompson piece. Franken also gets a hearty banging, from an unexpected quarter.
#3
Hit and miss. But the hits are hilarious. Scroll down to today's Hunter Thompson piece. Franken also gets a hearty banging, from an unexpected quarter.
#6
I actually feel sorry for the drips that flood sites like Huff'n'Puff's Fluffer Snuff Stuff. That a regular there would even know of the existence of a site with Bill Whittle's sublime work, for example, strains credulity and the odds. Duffs Puffin' Tuff vs. substance. Huff'n'Puff provides the cure they seek... trivial oblivion.
Posted by: Matt ||
05/19/2005 14:11 Comments ||
Top||
#8
You know, em think that Mucki's genyus would be l-o-s on people like her, and em also tend to think that Arianna is the sort of thing that Joseph Mendiola is warning us about.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
05/19/2005 14:17 Comments ||
Top||
#9
Huff's Toast Update: Andrew Sullivan holds forth on [guess]. Also, another installment of Martha Stewart Living. Excertp:
A lot of you have emailed to ask what lasting impact my stay at Alderson has had on my life. And the truth is, it¡¯s too soon to tell ¡ª though I did develop quite an appreciation for the prison reform movement, as well as for makeshift rubber-tipped instruments wired to rudimentary pedal-motors and designed to stimulate the clitoris by circling it like a Mexican circles a classified ad for a used ¡®75 El Camino.
Still, it would be disingenuous for me to suggest that certain cultural and ethnic peculiarities haven¡¯t already crept into my art, as witnessed by one of my favorite new recipes, ¡°The Martha Stewart Gourmet ¡®Hood ¡®Za¡± (Martha Stewart Living, June 2005):
Stuffing Mixture:
1 bunch mustard greens, washed, stems removed, and lightly wilted (fry with butter or vegetable oil, 1-2 minutes)
12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz. Kraft singles, torn into strips (3 oz. cube Velveeta okay)
2 oz. Canadian bacon slices, diced
1 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 oz. bacon, sliced
4 oz. ground beef, browned
2 oz. sausage patty, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
Preparation: Combine cooked greens, cheese, Canadian bacon (half), sausage (half), ground beef (half), salt, Kraft singles strips, and garlic for stuffing mixture. Spread dough in a greased deep-dish pan and up the sides for the bottom crust (approx. 16 oz. dough for 14¡å deep-dish).... Yield: one delicious gourmet pizza that¡¯s both ¡°phat¡± and ¡°stuffed like a motherf*cker,¡± as we say!
Enjoy!
It's that time of year again when we get a rash of camel-sittings. Edited for brevity.
SHINNSTON, W.Va. - A 1,500-pound camel picked an unfortunate place to take a breather. A woman called for help on her cell phone Wednesday after a camel sat on top of her while she was painting a fence. Remember: Camel/latex--GOOD! Camel/enamel--BAD!
"Camel, enamel, bo-famel..."
Firefighters and the camel's owner helped move the animal off the woman, who was having trouble breathing, ambulance driver Brent Hicks said. "There is no protocol on something like this," he said. Camels--Why do they hate us?
Posted by: Dar ||
05/19/2005 10:48 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
OK, I'll bite - Where'd they get a camel just wandering around in WEST VIRGINIA?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/19/2005 11:06 Comments ||
Top||
#2
From The Senator Robert Byrd Institute of Camel Research and Technology, of course.
#7
Don't feel bad, TH - camels hate everyone, even other camels. Nasty bastards. You'll be amused to know, perhaps, that it was an Arab that told me they only respect force, heh.
The release of the latest Star Wars movie this week is creating excitement among fans of the sci-fi saga, but itÂŽs also creating concern among some environmental advocates who fear the Dark Side - in other words, waves of discarded plastic action figures, light sabers and other movie-related paraphernalia headed to landfills. "We love Star Wars as much as anybody, but it doesnÂŽt mean we should emulate the destructive power of the Death Star by harming the environment," said Anne Reichman, director of Earth911.org, an environmental action and information Web site. "Most people donÂŽt know that these types of figurines canÂŽt be recycled, not even little Yoda. In fact, almost all of these toys will sit in landfills until long after weÂŽre gone."
#2
Not just humourless prigs, but most likely fund-raising. Can't sqeeze funds out of our SUV driving donors to make the ol' Mercedes payment if you don't issue a call from on high about the consequences of human activities.
Witness the big push to get cities in the USA to abide by Kyoto. Just trying to find the funds for that next drunken orgy environmental Girls Gone Wild taping session conference.
#3
This is terrible. Do you realize if the combined mass of all the junked Star Wars action figures exceeds 1.4 solar masses, the Earth *could* disappear into the resulting black hole? Aw, man!
This is the worst news since I read Ehrlich's "The Population Bomb" and learned humanity would be doomed by overpopulation, famine and pestilence by the 1980s at the latest.
SteveS - I'm thinking the Bullshit Bomb exploded, instead, lol! It's just fucking everywhere.
Ooooo! Earth911... how catchy, heh. Hmmmm, that give me an idea. Yep, available. bullshit911.com/net/org are now locked up. I'll sell for a low low price, lol!
#9
what a crock of sh!t. Maybe Anne's a serious collector, and hopes that the more figures that end up in a landfill, the fewer there will be 10 years down the road when she's ready to sell. Either that, or she's just got a lightsaber stuck up her ass.
#15
"Most people don´t know that these types of figurines can´t be recycled, not even little Yoda. In fact, almost all of these toys will sit in landfills until long after we´re gone."
Ha! Like the "kids" who are buying these things are going to let them out of their fat, grubby little hands. They're going into hermetically sealed containers in the back of mom's basement, baby.
This had the short odds down at the parimutuel window ...
MANAMA — Bahrain's parliament has upheld a royal decree that gives immunity from prosecution to former security officials, a sensitive issue among the kingdom's Shia citizens who accuse authorities of human right violations during the political unrest that gripped the island state in mid-1990s.
More than half of the 40 lawmakers voted on Tuesday against a proposal to challenge Decree No. 56 in court, saying the move was not in the interest of national unity. However, Shias say they will disregard the assembly's backing of the decree and will continue their campaign against it. Some warned the move could return the country to violence.
Many Shias have taken to the streets calling for annulling the decree passed in 2002. They say the law protects torturers and human rights violators. "It's a shame that lawmakers approved this decree which is totally against human rights," said Abduljalil Singace of the Shia-backed Al Wefaq National Islamic Society said: "If this issue is not resolved, sooner or later it will express itself in some sort of eruption." "Victims are in pain and nobody is listening to their woes, this could be bad," he warned.
"Our nation has suffered enough, we don't want to return to the past, we have to continue to move forward," said Ibrahim Al Saeedi, one of 23 members of parliament who voted in favor of the decree.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/19/2005 00:21 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
DORSET, England, May 19 (UPI) -- A 27-year-old British earl has died of an apparent heart attack in New York City a month after inheriting his slain father's estate and title.
You remember, he passed away due to a overdose of wives.
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, who became the 11th Earl of Shaftesbury, died Sunday and an investigation into his death continued Thursday, The Times of London said.
Sounds like they have a family curse going.
A spokesman for the Dorset-based family refuted suggestions he died from anything other than natural causes.
"Balderdash!"
An investigation into his father's death also continued in France. The 10th Earl of Shaftesbury, also called Anthony Ashley-Cooper, vanished last year sparking speculation he had been abducted by mobsters, murdered or was involved in an elaborate plot to stage his own disappearance. His body, partially eaten by animals, was found in the French Alps last month.
He got wacked by his last wife's brother.
The younger earl's brother, Nicholas, 25, is expected to become the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury.
Who just jumped to the top of the list of suspects.
Posted by: Steve ||
05/19/2005 1:17:30 PM ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
27 and dead of a heart attack? Sounds like lots of that inheritence might've been going up his nose maybe?
May 19, 2005: The news stories of the Russian sale of 100,000 assault rifles to Venezuela left out a few important details. Most stories described the rifles as "AK-47s." Not so. Russia hasn't manufactured the AK-47 (or its upgraded version, the AKM), for many years. Instead, Russia now makes the AK-74, a weapon similar to the American M-16 (and also firing a .22 caliber type bullet). Normally, the AK-74 sells for about $800 each (including cleaning supplies, magazines, spare parts and the like.) But many of the AK-74s headed to Venezuela from Russia are being billed at $1200 each, the additional $400 going into the pockets of Venezuelan politicians who got behind the weapons purchase and distribution (to friends of the current Venezuelan government) of the weapons. New weapons, old traditions.
Posted by: Steve ||
05/19/2005 10:05:33 AM ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Remember the good 'ol days when the russians just gave their weapons away?
#4
1200 bucks? WTF? They can be had for about a third of that or less. Just get them from the Chinese. They could have pocketed a huge amount of cash. These guys can't even do graft well.
Pyongyang, May 18 (KCNA) -- A blood-purifying finger ring is attracting great interests of visitors at the ongoing 8th Pyongyang International Commodity Fair. The patented ring has been put on show by the Samhung Koast Joint Venture Company of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It is popular at home and abroad for its potent efficacy for hypertension, hypotension, cerebral thrombosis, myocardial infraction, arteriosclerosis and other diseases causing ischemic brain and heart disorder. Of late it has been proved to be efficacious for diabetes, too.
Regrows thinning hair! Adds two inches to your penis!
Cures neuritis, neuralgia, spavins, galls, and female complaints!
It is also called "Pitsam" because its efficacy is not less than that of Koryo insam (ginseng).
Removes foot odor without rubbing!
It controls immunity, kills inflammation, pain and stress and promotes vasodilatation and tissue regeneration.
Yeast infections, unsightly moles and hemorrhoids are a thing of the past!
Increases breast size and wards off cellulite!
The ring gives no harmful effect to human body. It is made with the application of the bio-physical action of sun-rays or light of incandescent electric lamp passing through a specially processed natural jewel.
Solar-powered as well, it's environmentily correct!
And it's natural! No dangerous chemicals!
Sounds like the ruby from a Timex laser.
The company has developed various other kinds of blood-purifiers to treat malignant diseases. The blood-purifying finger ring, bracelet and treatment apparatuses made by the company have obtained patents at home.
Nothing sez reliable like a North Korean patent
It slices! It dices! It chops and it purees!
They have applied for international patent and their indications translated into seven languages to be introduced in 107 countries.
Soon to be appearing in your Inbox everywhere!
But wait! There's more!
The finger ring was highly appreciated at the International Exhibition of Patent and Quack Medicines Patented Technologies and Goods held in China in August last year.
Millions of Chinese can't be wong!
It is popular in China, Russia, Pakistan and other countries and regions that believe in this stuff.
Order Now! Our operators are standing by!
From Ronco!
Posted by: Steve ||
05/19/2005 1:31:26 PM ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Secret's out:It's made of grass clippings and tree bark....
PARIS - Paris backs a call by Berlin to discuss at NATO the withdrawal of the remaining US nuclear weapons stationed in Germany, the International Herald Tribune reported Thursday citing France's defense minister. The Paris-based daily said that in an interview French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie backed a call made earlier this by her German counterpart Peter Struck for a possible withdrawal in NATO committees. While showing understanding for the demand by Germany's governing center-left coalition for the weapons to be removed, she refused to explicitly call on Washington to withdraw them, the newspaper reported.
You don't have to 'call' on us to remove them, just ask. We can remove the rest of our combat forces from Germany while we're at it.
An estimated 150 US nuclear weapons are stationed on German soil out of a total of about 480 in Europe.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/19/2005 00:33 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Ya know, a man with a woman's name at the head of a country's defense department just doesn't work for me...
Posted by: ed ||
05/19/2005 9:26 Comments ||
Top||
#6
What's this "out of a total of about 480 in Europe"? Are they counting UK and French nuclear weapons, or US weapons located in Europe but outside of Germany?
Posted by: Dar ||
05/19/2005 9:48 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Sure, no problem. We can fly them to the gulf and drop em in Syria, Iraq, Iran and let the last few drop on Saudi Arabia just for kicks.
Posted by: Gir ||
05/19/2005 9:50 Comments ||
Top||
#8
I agree that France should be politely rebutted by suggesting that they have no use for nuclear weapons, AT ALL, and are hypocritical for never, ever having even joined talks aimed at reducing nuclear weapons in the world.
#9
Let's see, France has nukes, and they want US nukes out of Europe. That leaves France (of course discount the UK since they're unwashed non-continentals) as the place to suck up to for EoruNucular deterrence.
What a predicament: Get US Nuke protection and be seen as a US lapdog, or BE a French whore and hope to find French protection on the bed stand in the morning.
Hey Euro-lemmings, good luck with that "France-will-protect-us, right?" thingy.
This is a manrta of the Red Greens and 1968ers in Germany and "Old Europe". It has been for ever and ever. What is left unsaid is France and the UK both have Nukes that they have no intention of giving up nor would the DU Reds Greens have the nerve to ask (The UK has it's own flavor of anti-nuke Luddites.) Germans see Chirac as the DUs #1 friend in a recent survey. A German's Best Friend: No, It's Not the US.( Points to a blog) France is just taking advantage of the fact that Schroeder is Chirac's suck boy. France isn't even really part of NATO any more, I don't know why we act as if they are? They pulled out and quit ages ago. What the Frenchies want is no US influence in Europe.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
05/19/2005 14:59 Comments ||
Top||
#13
We should have pulled them out long ago, after the wall fell and the Soviets crumbled. We also should have bought up every Soviet nuke in site and doubled our defecit to get the things out of the proximity of fools and ingrates.
I like Poland but I'm not sure putting troops there is worth it either since they are so far away from the likely action.
#14
Actually I'm thinking the US should take over all UN Peacekeeping duties between Egypt and Israel. We should guarantee the safety of both and build a huge base/hospital in the Sinai desert. We can guarantee the Egyptians never attack. We can guarantee the Israeli's never attack. And we can use the location for our good work elsewhere in the neighborhood.
I'm thinking Golan Heights might be another good location for a big US peacekeeping base to ensure the Syrians and Israeli's get along.
Peacekeeping with teeth. Peacekeeping bases where they can be helpful in other areas rather than just sitting still.
Posted by: Matt ||
05/19/2005 20:02 Comments ||
Top||
#18
Nukes in Europe are pointless. All nukes including French ones. If there were none and a nuclear power devastated Europe, the worldâs economy would take a massive hit and that would affect the US. The US would not let that happen. Ok, someone needs to have them in the west, but there is no point having them all over the place, they are just targets. France can be a pain, always have been, and always will be. But the reality is that nukes in Europe are just dangerous, there is no deterrent value.
Posted by: Get Real ||
05/19/2005 20:21 Comments ||
Top||
#19
I like Poland but I'm not sure putting troops there is worth it either since they are so far away from the likely action.
Optimist.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
05/19/2005 21:21 Comments ||
Top||
After Howard Dean last weekend declared Tom DeLay ought to be in jail, a longtime Democratic operative told me the party's national chairman had momentarily ripped off his muzzle but that it soon would be restored. My source erred, however, in believing that Dean ever had been muzzled. It's just that nobody has paid much attention to his rants. Well, we at Rantburg U. have!
Since his election as chairman of the Democratic National Committee on Feb. 12, Dean has studiously avoided most national television exposure. But he has been talking to party gatherings across the country, and his intemperate language at these outings contradicts the notion that he has been kept under control. Heh. That he will leap onto the national stage Sunday on NBC's ''Meet the Press'' with Tim Russert raises concern among the Democratic political players whether he will contain himself. I'd think that a national candidate would learn from past behaviour or at least be a bit more self-aware, but I can't bring myself to say Dean will not drop a bomb. I don't think he has it in him.
Dean's election by the DNC membership was a case of the inmates seizing control of the asylum. After the 2004 election, party leaders spent more than three months in a fruitless effort to find an alternative to Dean. Their fears of money drying up under Dean have largely been realized, but they have deluded themselves into thinking the former Vermont governor who screamed his way out of any hope for the 2004 presidential nomination was under firm restraint.
The party's congressional leaders, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Puhleeze, these two are lecturing Dean on the concept of 'comity'? sat down with Dean for a heart-to-heart talk. They politely urged him to restrain his rhetoric, to organize rather than inflame. Dean thereupon told Reid, 'You're a loser'! buried himself in the ''red'' states of Republican America to seek Democratic converts, giving the impression that he was heeding the pleas of the congressional leadership. Blue Dean in Red States. What could possibly go wrong?
He was not. He has described the Republican leadership, in various venues, as ''evil,'' ''corrupt'' and ''brain-dead.'' He has called Sen. Rick Santorum, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, a ''liar.'' Nothing like 'civil, well-reasoned discourse', now is there?
What he said last weekend differed from this invective only in that it was presented to an urban forum and so became public knowledge. Addressing the Massachusetts Democratic convention in Lowell, Dean declared: ''I think DeLay ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence down there courtesy of the Texas taxpayers.'' Dean would jail DeLay without trial, without indictment and without accusation of any crime. "Jail time for thee, not for me! I gotta cash some cheques!"
National chairmen are supposed to fire up the troops, but Dean's rhetoric crosses a line. What he said was too much even for so tough a partisan Democrat as Rep. Barney Frank, who attended his state's convention in Lowell and was appalled by Dean's language. I'll give Barney Frank that much - he's one of the few Dems with a sense of honour.
Dean's deficiencies as face and voice of the Democratic Party were supposed to be overcome by his legendary prowess, evident by his run for president, raising funds in small packages. That so far has proved a grievous disappointment. First-quarter figures show the DNC received only $13 million from individuals, compared with $32 million raised by the Republican National Committee. Overall figures were $34.2 million by the RNC, $16.7 million by the DNC. "I said some cheques, not a lot of them!"
Dean has not always kept himself faithful to the Democratic message. On Feb. 23 at Cornell University, he blurted out that Social Security benefits -- if the system is left unchanged -- 30 years from now will be 80 percent of what they are now. That was a shocking departure from the ostrich position best defined as the party line that nothing has to be done. 'Cuz then they'd a) have to admit they were wrong b) for supporting a insolvent progam enacted by the Democratic demigod, FDR. Won't happen, evah.
But the only place that Dean's Social Security departure appeared was in the Cornell Daily Sun, the student newspaper. His limited exposure generally means that little of what he says is communicated to the public. He has been convinced that he has nothing to gain from face-to-face debates on television with his Republican counterpart, Ken Mehlman. Right. He knows the MSM will provide cover by killing these stories en masse, so he can get away with scalding water rhetoric. Problem is, he's falling behind in the Benjamins Department, and he's not exactly expanding their base with his mouth.
Accordingly, anticipation of Dean on ''Meet the Press'' Sunday is unsettling for the party's faithful. This will be his first exposure as chairman on a major network interview, and Russert predictably will be well-prepared with a rap sheet of the chairman's verbal assaults. The prospect that Dean will make juicy additions to that collection unnerves Democrats. I say 60% chance that he says something that Instapundit will comment on in terms of its hostile nature, and even money that Dean is out as chairpersonby his second anniversary.
#1
I expect Russert will pair the Dean "Osama is innocent until proven guilty quote" with his two or three "DeLay (who hasn't even been charged) should go to jail quote."
or his, "Bush is dividing the country" quotes with his "I hate Republican" quotes.
Dean will try the 'Here's what I meant' approach.
Will Russert have a 'then why did you follow that first remark with this a week later' retort ready?
#4
Russert will give him a pass. First question should be:
"when will Senator Kerry, an obvious Democrat candidate for 2008 Presidential Race, sign the release of his 180 forms? I have a pen and blank forms right here"
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/19/2005 21:39 Comments ||
Top||
I remember when a bus stop was a pole with a "Bus Stop" sign on it.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Tom Wilson is faced with a problem many city administrators would envy: How to spend $1.5 million on a bus stop. Spending tax money? Oh, I'll bet he has a problem with it. I'll bet he uses every dime.
Wilson, Anchorage's director of public transportation, has all that money for a new and improved bus stop outside the Anchorage Museum of History and Art thanks to Republican Sen. Ted Stevens fondly referred to by Alaskans as "Uncle Ted" for his prodigious ability to secure federal dollars for his home state. We have an "Uncle Ted" here too. But he's the kinda creepy fat slob drunken perv uncle you really don't want to have much to do with...
Wilson is prepared to think big. The bus stop there now is a simple steel-and-glass, three-sided enclosure. Wilson wants better lighting and seating. He also likes the idea of heated sidewalks that would remain free of snow and ice. And he thinks electronic signs would be nice. "It is going to be a showpiece stop," Wilson said. It'd better be for 1.5 mil...
He acknowledges the money has put him in an awkward position.
"We have a senator that gave us that money and I certainly won't want to appear ungrateful," he said. At the same time, he does not want the public to think the city is wasting the money. So "if it only takes us $500,000 to do it, that's what we will spend." Only half a million for a bus stop? What a bargain!
That is still five to 50 times the typical cost of bus stop improvements in Anchorage. The money was contained in a $388 billion spending bill passed by Congress last November, when Stevens was head of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Citizens Against Government Waste has ranked Stevens No. 1 every year since it began calculating lawmakers' proficiency at bringing home pork in 2000. In 2005, Stevens brought home more than $645 million, or $984.85 for each Alaskan, the group says.
"Everyone suffers for the $1.5 million bus stop," said Scott Kohlhaas, chairman of the Alaska Libertarian Party. "It is a great example of government waste." Ya think?
One thing is certain: City and museum officials agree that the bus stop must fit in aesthetically with a museum expansion project that is being funded with $75 million in public and private money. In fact, the museum has offered to help design the bus stop. Oh I'll bet that'll save money. They'll probably need at least a million more.
The museum's architects want it to be compatible with the exterior building materials used for the expansion — glass with a pattern that gives the impression of looking through a thin curtain. And they do not want it to spoil the view of the street that museum visitors will have when they stand in what will be a mini-forest of 350 birch trees whose lower branches have been cut away. Make that two million more...
If done right, the expanded museum and improved bus stop could anchor a new eastern edge to the downtown area, drawing not only more tourists to the museum but shoppers from a nearby mall and workers from the federal building, said museum director Pat Wolf. That is what Stevens had in mind when he got the $1.5 million, said the senator's spokeswoman Courtney Boone. "It is supposed to be a lot more than a bus stop," she said. "It needs to have a way to smoothly transition all these people." It's a friggin BUS STOP!
And Boone said there are good reasons Stevens strives to bring federal dollars to Alaska. For one thing, it is more difficult and costly to build infrastructure in Alaska, she said. "Sen. Stevens does not believe the money that he is able to work diligently to secure at the federal level is pork," she said. "He considers it infrastructure development for a very young state. People seem to forget how young Alaska really is." Okay, AP. Is a million and a half a legit price for an Anchorage bus stop?
Waiting for a bus, Ronnie San Ramon imagined what he would do with $1.5 million. With winter still a fresh memory, he suggested making the bus stop fully enclosed and heated. "People in winter are frozen — especially if the bus is late like today," San Ramon said. If there's any money left, maybe they can burn it to stay warm
#6
For $1.5m, they could build it big enough that Paul could land his Cessna on the roof--the ultimate Park-n-Ride, as it were.
Posted by: Mike ||
05/19/2005 12:24 Comments ||
Top||
#7
We have a senator that gave us that money"
All by his self, no doubt.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis ||
05/19/2005 12:33 Comments ||
Top||
#8
We have an "Uncle Ted" here too. But he's the kinda creepy fat slob drunken perv uncle you really don't want to have much to do with. You refering to Uncle Teddy Kennedy?
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
05/19/2005 14:28 Comments ||
Top||
#13
watch the sealions take it over - the Pinniped/Sea Mammal act won't let you move em. They'd soak up that heated sidewalk bizness
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/19/2005 18:03 Comments ||
Top||
#14
Gotta remember the first million goes to studies and the environmental impact statement. 300k is held for lawyer fees defending the enviromental impact statement. 200k goes to finding homes for the displaced homeless people who live in the existing bus stop. Another 150k is required to design and build the new bus stop. Its much like the old bus stop but without the graffity (for a few weeks). And another 50k is set aside to reassess the properties ajacent to the new bus stop thereby causing the property taxes to increase disproportional to the improvement to the street. Oh, and more money is needed to hire the three shifts of custodians (relatives to the mayor) hired for maintenance of this technologically cutting edge bus stop w/ new improved security lights. That comes to a total of 1.7 mil plus yearly expenses. Well worth the few dollars because its "For The Children".
#15
actually (sadly) my real-life experience (assuming no environmental concerns = NEPA Categorical Exemption): of $1.5 million, actual design: 100K; PM/massaging: $300K; Construction: $600K - rest - lost in the ether
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/19/2005 21:50 Comments ||
Top||
Spanish for foot in mouth? Mexican President Vicente Fox sure made a grande mess of things with his immature, inappropriate and ill-conceived comments to a business group in Puerto Vallarta. His words have taken on a life of their own, and he may never live them down.
*snip out well-deserved slap against Jackson & Sharpton*
Publicly, it's a different story. Fox has refused to apologize, insisting that his comments were misinterpreted.
We seriously doubt that. The comments are pretty clear, and they speak for themselves. But let's not lose sight of what's really at the root of all this, and, when you get down to it, what's really troubling. It is this: that the Mexican president can't seem to stop meddling — in word or deed — in what is essentially a domestic issue, namely how the United States handles the problem of illegal immigration. Think about that for a second. How dare the Mexican president — or any Mexican official — get on a soapbox to lecture Americans about illegal immigration, when it is Mexico's absolute failure to provide sufficient economic opportunities for its own people that helps drive the phenomenon in the first place. Now, that's offensive. (emphasis added)
Finally! Someone gets to the absolute heart of the matter.
Read the whole thing.
I'm guessing no chance this will be republished in any Mexican newspapers.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
05/19/2005 11:26 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#3
His comments bring to mind something I observed a long time ago in my travels abroad--for all the lamentation about racism in America, it's worse in every other country (5) I've been to than it is here (although I admit that I haven't been to Mexico, so I can't comment about it).
#4
Perhaps Bush should just send Condi to Mexico City for the next meeting. I'm starting to enjoy this: Condi pisses off the Sauds, Condi tells Fox to piss off (or maybe shine her boots...)
Liberia's exiled former leader Charles Taylor is still funding armed groups and political parties across West Africa, a US pressure group alleges. The Coalition for International Justice says he is running a complex financial empire, despite the fact he is under effective house arrest in Nigeria. The group calls on Nigeria to hand Mr Taylor over to the United Nations war crimes tribunal in Sierra Leone. Nigeria offered asylum on the basis he ended his role in regional politics. The CIJ claims diplomats from the Liberian embassy in Lagos have been acting as his agents, and that Mr Taylor has been using the help of visitors to circumvent United Nations travel restrictions. The Liberian information minister, C William Allen, told the BBC he was not personally aware of any evidence that Mr Taylor was trying to influence Liberian politics, but said any diplomats found helping him would be dismissed.
The CIJ has produced a detailed report on how Mr Taylor got and spent his money, both in and out of office, saying that millions of dollars have passed through his hands over the years. The money came from diamonds, timber and a whole range of businesses, including Liberia's first mobile phone company, the group says. Report author Douglas Farah claims to have found a bewildering network of agents, front men and interlocking companies, which allowed Mr Taylor to make money and spend it buying influence and funding armed conflict in Liberia and neighbouring countries. The BBC's foreign affairs analyst Liz Blunt says much of this is past history - although not previously laid bare in so much detail - and most of those named are already subject to UN travel bans because of their activities.
The new allegations are about what Mr Taylor has been doing since he has been in exile in Calabar in south-east Nigeria our correspondent says. The report says that in the government guest house where he lives he has free access to the telephone and internet and is free to receive visitors. It suggests that diplomats from the Liberian embassy in Lagos act as his agents. Large sums of money from his investments in Liberia and overseas are brought to him in cash by visitors, the report alleges. They are often the wives or female relatives of his associates who are not affected by UN travel restrictions, the reports says.
Our correspondent says that even more controversial are the allegations about how he is spending his wealth. The report draws on information given to the UN-backed court for Sierra Leone to suggest that Mr Taylor is thought to be funding armed groups through some of his old commanders. He is thought to be giving money to at least half the parties which will contest this year's elections in Liberia, the report says.
Paving the way for his return to power.
Posted by: Steve ||
05/19/2005 8:45:05 AM ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
The picture...I think I'm in love.
Posted by: john ||
05/19/2005 12:30 Comments ||
Top||
NEW DELHI — India, once hit by US sanctions over its atomic weapons programme, is now seeking Washington's help to develop its nuclear power industry as a booming economy spurs energy demand.
They are sucking down the juice, aren't they.
Chief scientist Rajagopala Chidambaram is in the US this week to discuss India's case for nuclear power technology, ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in July after New Delhi passed its own anti-proliferation legislation. India, which has not signed the global non-proliferation pact, is anxious to reassure Washington it can be trusted. "We see no reason for non-proliferation concerns to be a barrier to high-technology trade and commerce with our country," Dr Khan Singh said on Tuesday. "The diplomatic challenge before India and the US is no longer about making the case for nuclear energy development," analyst C. Raja Mohan said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/19/2005 00:30 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[0 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
India, which has not signed the global non-proliferation pact, is anxious to reassure Washington it can be trusted.
So sign up then. Burning the candle at both ends isn't going to work.
#4
India is not likely to sign the NPT since it cannot sign as a nuclear weapon state. It will not give up its nuclear arsenal.
India builds heavy water reactors (derivations of the CANDU type reactors) of 200MW, 500MW and lately 700MW capacity and has complete fuel cycle tech (from ore to reprocesssed plutonium) as well as high enriched uranium.
It has developed a process to cheaply extract tritium from the heavy water CANDU coolant.
It is presently constructing the first of several 500MW fast breeder reactors that will burn plutonium/uranium and irradiate thorium, producing even more fissile uranium 233.
While it has vast amounts of thorium ore, its uranium stocks are limited. It is not allowed to buy fuel on the international market. It cannot buy nuclear reactor technology. These restrictions have been in place for thirty years (since the first Indian weapon test in 1974).
It would like to purchase (a) fuel (b) larger reactors such as the 1000 MW GE light water reactors that China is buying.
This would greatly accelerate the growth of its nuclear power generation capacity.
Almost every Indian state suffers from severe power problems. There has not been the needed investment in power plants (of all types).
It has offered to have complete IAEA safeguards on any reactors or fuel it purchases from outside .
However NSG rules prevent this. These rules stipulate that ALL nuclear facilities must be under IAEA safeguards. This would effectively stop its nuclear weapons program.
What it is looking for from America is an exception from these rules for itself: a de facto (if not de jure) acceptance of its nuclear weapon status.
Posted by: john ||
05/19/2005 7:03 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Thanks John, good backgrounder. The point I was raising that even when trans-national treaties look good on paper, they rarely work in practice. The NPT has been and continues to be a failure as nuclear proliferation continues. It penalizes states like India (which in my view has just as much right to nuclear weapons as China and particularly because China is a nuclear state)) because of some view of the world in 1945. Its time to recognize that India has a right to be a nuclear state. Unfortunately it won't happen because the world is locked into an anachronistic and impossible to change NPT. Its time for the US to establish nuclear relations with India and ignore the NPT. I don't have to point out to RBers the absurdity of the USA providing nuclear technology to a potentially hostile state, while not providng the same technology to a potential ally.
#8
I'm all for arming/giving India nuclear tech. Along with Japan and Tiawan. Powerful economies, powerful militaries, powerful nukes. Would make China and N.Korea think twice about any move they make.
#9
I don't have to point out to RBers the absurdity of the USA providing nuclear technology to a potentially hostile state, while not providng the same technology to a potential ally.
Especially when that potentially hostile state (China) has, in the past, proliferated nuclear weapon technology (complete bomb designs, down to the outer weapon casings) with full fabrication instructions to essentially rogue nations like Pakistan and North Korea who have in turn proliferated the Chinese tech to other countries.
I haven't read of any instances where India has proliferated its WMD tech to any other nation.
It has had all of the technology of concern: weapon design expertise, reactors, uranium enrichment, plutonium reprocessing, ballistic missile, satellite technology, chemical and biological capabilities for literally decades but has not shared it with other states.
Posted by: john ||
05/19/2005 12:00 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Indai can follow the path of China and wait till the next Democratic Administration. They will be happy to sell or give the technology for campaign cash.
#11
The key is that India is a democratic nation with a burgeoning middle class. That pretty much precludes the chance of nuclear idiocy on the weapon side. There are too many rational voices that will have a say and there is simply too much to lose, so won't happen unless they are jammed into a corner. We should be doing everything we can to build our relationship with India.
Indai can follow the path of China and wait till the next Democratic Administration. They will be happy to sell or give the technology for campaign cash.
Well, it didn't work during the Clinton Administration; India's new LCA fighter (which was meant to replace all those migs that keep crashing) used an American engine, but when said administration put sanctions on India for testing nuclear weapons, they had to go to developing one of their own, which has pushed the program back most of a decade.
Posted by: Phil Fraering ||
05/19/2005 14:24 Comments ||
Top||
#13
More than technology, it is access to fuel, either prefabricated or just the ore/yellowcake that India really wants.
Some of its best uranium deposits are essentially off limits because they are in tribal lands in the northeast. The Indian gov't would lose in the courts if they attempted to force the mining issue since the tribal people are guaranteed their communal lands rights (with prohibitions on outsiders) by the Indian constitution itself.
Other sites are near inhabited areas and local activists have stopped attempts at surveying or mining.
It doesn't help matters that there is no clear demarcation between the Indian civilian and military nuclear programs.
Right now India is constructing a superconducting collider (cyclotron) for particle physics experiments. Some of the scientists in that project are involved in the nuclear power generation and also in weapon design.
India doesn't have dedicated military reactors.
Some of the civilian reactors thus do double duty.
They use the CANDU type (natural uranium fuel with heavy water as a moderator) which produces plutonium and tritium.
In exchange for a continuous supply of IAEA safeguarded fuel, India may perhaps allow most of its power reactors to be placed under safeguard (right now only four older ones are; two that the Russians are constructing will also be safeguarded).
It will probably keep a few of the CANDUs for military use or build some dedicated graphite moderated/gas cooled ones for weapon production.
This is assuming the US will bend the NSG rules to accomodate India.
Posted by: john ||
05/19/2005 15:45 Comments ||
Top||
#14
I would not assume that India will always behave in a sober and rational fashion. They have their own religious (Hindu) wackos, as well as a nuclear-armed islamic neighbor with whom they've gone to war multiple times in recent memory.
ALGIERS — Algerians are expressing scepticism over the ability of the government to hold senior public sector officials accountable for their properties and to 'come clean' on the 'dubious possession' of wealth and properties.
"No, no. That'll never work."
The issue is now a hot topic of discussion at both public and private places in the country in the light of the increasing number of scandals that are being exposed by the media. The legal committee of the Algerian parliament (Lower House) last week summoned the Justice Minister, Tayeb Belaiz, to answer questions related to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Bill, which was passed early this year by the government.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/19/2005 00:23 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under:
An ownership battle has erupted over the world's most famous monument to love, the Taj Mahal, as it celebrates its 350th anniversary. The magnificent 17th-century structure, in Uttar Pradesh, built by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal, is owned and managed by the Archaeological Survey of India as a national monument.
But the Sunni Waqf Board, which oversees Sunni Muslim graveyards and mosques throughout India, has staked a claim to the white-marbled tomb, saying since the monument houses Muslim graves, the Taj belongs to it. The Taj contains the tombs of Shah Jahan and his queen along with other tombs.
Contradicting the Muslim claim, a hard-line Hindu outfit, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), says the Taj Mahal's builders constructed it after demolishing a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The Hindu group says the monument should be declared a temple and adds the key to the mystery lies in a sealed basement in the Taj that it says contains the "pillars and artifact of a temple".
Posted by: Fred ||
05/19/2005 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
A sealed basement - somebody call Geraldo Rivera's agent!
Posted by: ed ||
05/19/2005 9:16 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Now, now, you do recall that two Catholic religious orders are fighting over who controls the roof of one of the holy sites in Israel. One side has had a monk sitting in a chair on the roof for several years now.
#7
Chuck - I'm so glad to hear we've got a 24/7 monk-watch on the Holy Shingle of Antioch!
I find it fitting that a temple of Shiva "The Destroyer" was razed for the Taj. No irony there!
Posted by: Dar ||
05/19/2005 9:41 Comments ||
Top||
#8
I have heard, although I cannot confirm, that in the process of building the Taj Mahal, one of the workers discarded a wooden box. Turned out he'd discarded Mumtaz Mahal's coffin, and her body with it; so that she never was inside the tomb.
So, if that story is true, does the Taj Mahal actually contain any Muslim graves?
Does anybody have some further information on this?
#11
Read Ernie Gann's Fate is the Hunter about a severely overloaded cargo plane in WWII. It took off from a field near the Taj Mahal on a hot day and was wallowing away in the air and heading right for the site and a certain crash. "What will we do?" Cried the crew. "Full flaps!" cried the captain, and they hopped over the Taj Mahal with a few feet to spare.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/19/2005 11:36 Comments ||
Top||
#12
Not going to matter all that much long if India doesn't take better care of the thing. I was there ~3 years ago and lets just say their maintenance ain't the best I've ever seen.
Posted by: Laurence of the Rats ||
05/19/2005 11:57 Comments ||
Top||
#13
But the Sunni Waqf Board, which oversees Sunni Muslim..
After seeing just the title, I had suspected that Muslims were involved in this "dispute". Seems my suspicions were correct.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
DORSET, England, May 19 (UPI) -- A 27-year-old British earl has died of an apparent heart attack in New York City a month after inheriting his slain father's estate and title. 
It is popular at home and abroad for its potent efficacy for hypertension, hypotension, cerebral thrombosis, myocardial infraction, arteriosclerosis and other diseases causing ischemic brain and heart disorder. Of late it has been proved to be efficacious for diabetes, too. 
PARIS - Paris backs a call by Berlin to discuss at NATO the withdrawal of the remaining US nuclear weapons stationed in Germany, the International Herald Tribune reported Thursday citing France's defense minister. The Paris-based daily said that in an interview French Defense Minister 
Liberia's exiled former leader 
