Balta1701

NYT Link. I believe that several agencies within the administration instituted this policy a few months ago - every single public statement by any scientist in the government had to be approved by a political appointee, whether it was from the FDA, EPA, NASA, etc. Good to see someone with a little bit of a name behind them is finally calling them on it.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Jan 28, 2006 -> 05:09 PM) Her joke is technically a violation of Arkansas law and is punishable by ten years in prison. Oh you've got to be kidding me...will someone please try to prosecute this just to see what happens? (Sure whatever law it broke is probably unconstitutional...but I would just love to see it happen anyway.)

Aside from the unsourced rumor about Arafat dying of AIDS, that last post is actually very close to right on. With the amount of money lost to corruption by that government...it's not surprising that the people want new leadership, nor is it that surprising they're turning to the only people who are offering answers.

LAT

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 28, 2006 -> 05:39 AM) So, did you flirt back . . . Um...I think you're thinking of the previous governor.

None of this of course takes into account the massively higher OBP we'll be sticking in front of Konerko...which may very well give PK a shot at the MVP if he avoids a prolongued slump and hits with RISP. Put Thome in front of PK instead of Everett and Paulie probably drives in 20+ more runs last year. I still think up and down the lineup we're a stronger team. Thomas's numbers inflate our DH home run and RBI totals without hurting the total DH batting average that much since he wasn't there for long.

QUOTE(Cknolls @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 05:54 PM) I didn't see a website listed in my post. But if you would like a reference try Stephen Hayes. He writes for the Weekly Standard. And I could direct you to Michael Moore for facts also...but there's a reason I don't.

QUOTE(Cknolls @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 05:57 PM) But he was back in Washington today speaking on the floor of the Senate. Quick turn around don't you think. You couldn't do that flying commercial, in coach no less. Yes, how dare that elitist John Kerry dare take a private plane! Our wonderful President would never even consider taking his own plane! He's too much of an average American!

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 04:14 PM) Once again you go on some looney leftist website and parrot their rediculous accusations as if they're fact. :rolly Well...you have to admit, it was a fair response to CKnolls doing exactly the same thing from the other side.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 04:34 PM) microsoft doesn't make computers It destroys them.

Dude...do you not see the irony between you finding a problem with her joking about poisoning Stevens and you saying someone should poison her?

Priceless video clip... Conan O'Brien and Stephen Colbert... "I shot you very near the heart!"

The next time a Republican or a media person misled by RNC talking points tells us how Abramoff infected both parties equally with his slime...Here's where you need to send them. The Dems have plenty of Problems...but Jack Abramoff is theirs, not ours.

QUOTE(TheBigHurt @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 01:55 PM) God bless, Frank. We'll miss you. But has anyone thought about how Big Frank being on the A's of all teams is really gonna hurt us? O_O Oakland only plays us 6 times next year. We do have a series against them in September, but within about 10 days there they also have a 3 game set with the Twinkies and a 4 game set with the Tribe. They play the Tribe 9 times and the Twinkies 10 times total if I'm counting correctly.

I heard that while the fiancee was listening to the radio in the morning last week I think. I think I just left the room. "Yeah, we couldn't make the ad say no Portugese...but uhhhh...no Portugese"

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 01:53 PM) Actually let's look at this GOP Gov. Perry: Kap? No Tex? Yes GOP DeLay: Kap No Tex? Yes Damn, I have to leave, Kap gets to stay. It's ok Tex...soon Delay will be serving 20 years...and then everything will be ok...your Delay addiction (procrastination?) will be over...

Yes, how dare that elitist Kerry dare to comment on a U.S. political event from all the way in Switzerland!

I'm not Judging Frank by any of this right now. I'm going to wait and see how he reacts to the gigantic, 39,000 person, 5 minute standing O he's going to get the first time he steps up to the plate in the Cell.

Every year, the White House hosts a "Correspondents" dinner...basically a chance for the press corps to make fun of themselves. This year's host? Steven Colbert It's time to jump down, turn around and pick a bale of Truth!!!

QUOTE(mreye @ Jan 27, 2006 -> 10:49 AM) You're a couple days early, right? Yes, the launch took place on Jan 28th. There were scheduled launches the previous days, but both were called off, one due to a mechanical difficulty, another due to wind I believe. The cold snap happened the night of the 27th-28th.

Some interesting economic data today...the U.S. economy grew at a paltry 1.1% in the 4th quarter of 05, according to the first numbers (these have a habit of being adjusted by a half a percent or so a few months later). That is the weakest number in 3 years. Lots of varying signs here...there was a big slowdown in consumer spending, which conveniently enough only grew at 1.1% as well, but there's a lot of things playing into that - i.e. the big auto maker discounts which ended in September, the high fuel prices, Katrina, a slowdown in government spending, etc. The question right now is how many of those will be actual blips. On the other hand, home sales still hit a record in 2005, despite suggestions of slowdowns in some markets like CA which have been on fire in recent years. Markets were rising on the news in the hopes that it might signal an earlier end to the Federal Reserve's period of tightening. So fire away...temporary blip, or worrying sign?

Man, I'm amazed that I looked at that number and thought "That's too small to be on the megathrust over there." Those 2 last year were damn amazing. Looks like there's very little threat of anything really bad, along the lines of last year, happenign with this one. If the early location data are accurate, and they probably are...it's way too deep to cause any major displacement on the surface. You know, that is still pretty impressive that you get one of that magnitude that deep, if I recall correctly.

One of the main guys at the DOJ working on the prosecution in the Abramoff matter is getting a very conveniently timed promotion. This after a few years ago Mr. Bush conveniently removed a prosecutor looking into Mr. Abramoff's dealings on Guam. A couple Democrats are requesting a special prosecutor to look into the Abramoff matter. Given how deeply Congress and the Executive branch wound up involved with that guy, it certainly seems like an ideal case for one.

Here's Juan Cole's piece on the Palestinian elections. Lot of Bush Bashing, so if you're not into that, probably won't appeal to you. More than I expected from him on this topic too.