What could possibly go wrong?
Google was accused of spying on households yesterday after it admitted secretly copying passwords and private emails from home computers.
The internet search giant was forced to confess it had downloaded personal data during its controversial Street View project, when it photographed virtually every street in Britain.
In an astonishing invasion of privacy, it admitted entire emails, web pages and even passwords were ‘mistakenly collected’ by antennae on its high-tech Street View cars.
I think this afternoon I’ll walk into a bank and see if I can “mistakenly collect” some cash.
Candy Crowley, right at this moment, is ARGUING with Marco.
¿Que?
Last week I went door-to-door in NJ-12 for Scott Sipprelle. Yesterday, under the mad organization skillz of Ace, I went door-to-door with several other Morons who traveled even further than moi to get down to Toms River to pound the pavement for Jon Runyan.
Pudding was provided.
You may have heard of this race: it seems “associates” of the Democratic incumbent, a fellow named “Adler,” created a faux “Tea Party” candidate to steal support from Runyan. Total scum.
As of right now the race is extremely close, with Runyan holding a slight edge in the polls. I have to say that all of us streetwalkers volunteers agreed that the weightier part of the folks we encountered were pro-Runyan, so there is hope, but this is yet another race that could use your support.
Pelosi: Bush is ‘the gift that keeps on giving’
Former President George W. Bush is “the gift that keeps on giving” to Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said Thursday.
Actually, you are.
I can see November from my house.
…This week when I pointed out that they had forced me to sign a contract that gave them distance from my commentary outside of NPR I was cut off, ignored and fired.
And now they have used an honest statement of feeling as the basis for a charge of bigotry to create a basis for firing me. Well, now that I no longer work for NPR let me give you my opinion. This is an outrageous violation of journalistic standards and ethics by management that has no use for a diversity of opinion, ideas or a diversity of staff (I was the only black male on the air). This is evidence of one-party rule and one sided thinking at NPR that leads to enforced ideology, speech and writing. It leads to people, especially journalists, being sent to the gulag for raising the wrong questions and displaying independence of thought.
Daniel Schorr, my fellow NPR commentator who died earlier this year, used to talk about the initial shock of finding himself on President Nixon’s enemies list. I can only imagine Dan’s revulsion to realize that today NPR treats a journalist who has worked for them for ten years with less regard, less respect for the value of independence of thought and embrace of real debate across political lines, than Nixon ever displayed.
I’ve always like Juan Williams, because he just seemed like a decent fellow. I’m ever so glad to know how right I was.
“I did not have InterContinental Ballistic relations with that woman”
(CNN) — A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says in a new book that while Bill Clinton was in the White House, a key component of the president’s nuclear launch protocol went missing.
“The codes were actually missing for months. This is a big deal,” says General Hugh Shelton. “We dodged a silver bullet.”
…Once a month, Defense Department officials conduct an in-person verification to make sure the president has the right codes. At least twice in a row, Shelton writes, a White House aide told the Pentagon checker that the president was in a meeting but gave a verbal assurance that the codes were with him.
Then one month around the year 2000, according to Shelton, when the time came to replace the codes with a new set, “the president’s aide said neither he nor the president had the codes — they had completely disappeared.”
…Shelton says the president was given new codes within minutes when the previous codes could not be found, and the procedures have since been changed, so that the Pentagon aide who carries out the monthly check is required to wait at the White House until he or she can visually confirm the codes are in the possession of the president or an aide who is with him.
They’ve apparently never heard of this “Juan Williams” we all speak much of today.
Bwawk, bwawk, bwawk.
Ummm.
That’s sounds suspiciously like “Barack”, or am I acting stupidly?
UPDATE: JeffS reminded me that I hadn’t included the riveting exchange between major dad and myself when we realized the cretins at PBS were going to COMPLETELY weasel out of mentioning l’affaire d’ Williams. From tonight’s transcript:
“WHERE’S TEH JUAN?” major dad juandered aloud.
“No Juan around,” I said.
A sad commentary, is it not?
…was it?
LADY GAGA
MONSTER BALL TOUR
PARIS PERFORMANCES – OCT. 22 & 23 AT BERCY POSTPONED
…Lady Gaga apologizes to her fans for any inconvenience.
If you burn a WHOLE lot of stuff up, she may completely CANCEL her “meat” and greet.
Every (as in “every”) email, website visit and phone call to be stored by government order
Every email, phone call and website visit is to be recorded and stored after the Coalition Government revived controversial Big Brother snooping plans.
It will allow security services and the police to spy on the activities of every Briton who uses a phone or the internet.
Moves to make every communications provider store details for at least a year will be unveiled later this year sparking fresh fears over a return of the surveillance state.
The plans were shelved by the Labour Government last December but the Home Office is now ready to revive them.
It comes despite the Coalition Agreement promised to “end the storage of internet and email records without good reason”.
But now they have a good reason:
“We want to do it. So we will.”
Vote, dear friends, vote for Liberty and Smaller Government as if your very Freedom depended on it.
Because it does.
…the flag of Ajerbaijan has been flying over the bull at the end of Broadway this week?
In a possibly not-unrelated development, the Bull himself was a little…out of sorts a few weeks ago
Today this glorious gorgeously brave gal turns 213
The 44-gun USS CONSTITUTION, built in Boston, was launched on Oct. 21, 1797.
To properly celebrate and honor her, let’s all go and read what she was named for.
…like a scene out of the Exorcist!
Oh, happy, Happy Halloween!!
Christie Reportedly Offers N.J. Education Job to Ex-D.C. Schools Chief Rhee
TRENTON, N.J. — Gov. Chris Christie has reportedly offered the former District of Columbia’s schools chancellor the job of New Jersey education commissioner.
Two people familiar with the negotiations told The Star-Ledger of Newark Michelle Rhee is seriously considering the offer.
Jeez. I’d pay money to see that.
Now the Chinese are embargoing rare-earth minerals
HONG KONG — China, which has been blocking shipments of crucial minerals to Japan for the last month, has now quietly halted some shipments of those materials to the United States and Europe, three industry officials said this week.
The Chinese action, involving rare earth minerals that are crucial to manufacturing many advanced products, seems certain to further intensify already rising trade and currency tensions with the West. Until recently, China typically sought quick and quiet accommodations on trade issues. But the interruption in rare earth supplies is the latest sign from Beijing that Chinese leaders are willing to use their growing economic muscle.
I guess it’s time for Obama to go over there and bow again…
via Ace, and the usual hilarity ensues in the comments
In last week’s column, I lamented the devolution of the climate debate into dueling ad hominem attacks, which has led in almost a straight line to the incredible totalitarian vision of the 10:10 climate group’s recent film showing school kids getting blown up for not adhering to the global warming alarmists’ position.
In writing that column, it struck me that it was not surprising that many average folks may be unfamiliar with the science behind the climate skeptic’s position, since it almost never appears anywhere in the press. This week I want to give a necessarily brief summary of the skeptic’s case.
All Hail Gaia! (carbon be upon her)
Background photo: my campaign sign festooned yard. No doubt where the occupants of the humble cottage stand on the issues (and there’s actually a NEW Scott/Carroll entry to the right of my Marco sign).
I’ve already waved goodbye to major dad, who is waiting to back out of the driveway in the pre-dawn darkness, and stopped on my way back in to swap around my precious (because we’ve been OUT of them for WEEKS) Marco sign to the spiffy, non-faded side for the last two weeks of the campaign. Before I can finish, I notice major dad hasn’t moved and there’s truck noise, so I turn around completely to see what the deal is.
It’s a school bus barely idling along, blocking his path. Just then, the driver catches my eye: HONK! HONK! HONK! He gives a BIG ol’ thumbs up at my signs, a HUGE grin and hand-about-to-fall-off-his-arm wave as he rumbles away. Well, dang! Back atcha, buddy! major dad rolls his eyes, waves goodbye and finishes exiting the pattern.
I’ve tried to keep my giddy enthusiasm for the BIG picture under control, KNOWING how easily we could still get skunked and how good they are at dirty pool, especially with these ever increasing SKY HIGH expectations…but…DAYYUM!!!! When the school bus drivers of the world want you to know they’re with you…I sense a disturbance in the Force.
Vote, people.
UPDATE: See? This Politico headline is what I’m talking about:
Republicans put 99 Democrat-held House seats in danger
Lamaze breathing exercises and a healthy dose of “don’t get cocky” are called for.
Right up to where the school bus stops in the front yard…
Reported via the AP
Gunmen storm Scottish government buildings
Edinburgh, Scotland – Insurgents stormed the parliament complex in England’s volatile Scotland region on Tuesday, killing at least two police officers and one parliamentary official, and injuring 17 others, authorities said. At least three insurgents were also killed, officials said, ending one of the most brazen attacks on the province’s capital in months.
One insurgent set off a bomb at the gates of the parliament complex in Edinburgh, killing himself and wounding others, Scottish police spokesman Robert Bruce Colquhuon told The Associated Press.
At least two other gunmen ran into the building shouting “Slàinte mhòr agad!” — “Knox Knocks Ass!” in Gaelic — as they opened fire on the people inside, Colquhuon said.
A real choice, right next door in New York: Jimmy McMillan.
(thanks to Allah)
Comes to us from the wonderful state of Mary-Land (as they pronounce it in 1776) where the challenger objects to the Governor’s repeated references to illegal aliens as “new Americans”
If someone breaks in to my house is that a “new member” of my family that night?
Bee-yoo-tee-full
My Congressman (hopefully my-soon-to-be-EX-Congressman) Rush Holt
The congressman later gets an illegal immigration question. Does he believe the United States should stem the influx of undocumented workers by closing the U.S.-Mexico border?
“Close the border? I’m not exactly sure what that means,” says Holt, triggering a groan in the dwindled crowd.
We know you’re not sure what that means.
Get out and vote, folks!
…“Obviously this gives a huge advantage to Republicans, but this isn’t just a threat to the Democratic party.?.?.?If someone can walk into a congressional office and say, ‘If you don’t vote my way, the insurance industry or Wall Street?.?.?.If you don’t vote our way, we’re going to give Karl Rove [the conservative George W.Bush adviser] $10m and we’re going to blow you away in the next election’, what kind of impact is that going to have on our country?” said Mr Axelrod on CNN’s State of the Union.
Mr Gibbs, on NBC’s Meet the Press, urged the US Chamber of Commerce, a target of administration attacks on campaign finance, to “open up the books” and “show the American people” where the money was from.
Vote, people. We’ll still have to endure these weasels for another two years, but schmaybe we’ll be able to stem the damage until we get the whole thing back.
I only hope we’re in time.
The AP openly shills for the Democrats
WASHINGTON – The public panned it. Republicans obstructed it. Many Democrats fled from it. Even so, the session of Congress now drawing to a close was the most productive in nearly half a century.
Not since the explosive years of the civil rights movement and the hard-fought debut of government-supported health care for the elderly and poor have so many big things — love them or hate them — been done so quickly.
And that’s exactly the problem. Trillions have been hurriedly spent with little oversight, trillion-dollar entitlement programs have been passed before they were read, massive amounts of debt have been piled on our backs.
Enough.
Things in NJ have gotten so bad with the Democratic incumbents that even the Star Ledger is calling for the Feds:
The evidence shows that Rep. John Adler — and-or his campaign workers — probably did something sleazy. The question is: Did they do something illegal? It’s time for the Federal Election Commission to dust tea party candidate Peter DeStefano for fingerprints and find out.
For months, Republicans have charged that Adler’s campaign, in a tight 3rd District race with GOP’s John Runyan, conjured up DeStefano’s candidacy — talking the no-name into running, captaining his petitions and feeding him talking points. They hoped DeStefano would siphon votes from Runyan. Until now, the only accusation was dirty politics, and that’s not against the law.
…Democrats with knowledge of the Adler campaign have told the Courier-Post that Adler’s campaign manager Geoff Mackler and consultant Steve Ayscue helped launch DeStefano’s candidacy. The complaint insists that Adler was essentially paying people to work on DeStefano’s campaign and has failed to report that contribution.
…Adler has said, “I know nothing. I knew nothing.” The FEC could help clarify matters for him.
Ouch.
Help Jon Runyan send Adler packing.
This is another winnable race.
…that the moneywell gusher might have suffered a kill shot.
BP attorney suggests that the oil giant might seek to cap spill claims at $75 million
…In the latest such PR blitz, BP employee and New Orleans native Iris Cross reiterates that the company will do everything it has to do in order to “make this right.”
But yesterday in federal court, an attorney for the oil giant sent shockwaves throughout the Gulf region by suggesting that BP may seek shelter under the $75 million liability cap polluters can invoke under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier, who’s presiding over the more than 300 consolidated lawsuits against the company, was taken aback when BP attorney Don Haycraft floated the idea of the liability cap. Barbier replied simply that “BP said it would pay whatever [is] necessary.” Steven Herman, a plaintiffs attorney in the case, also registered surprise. “We’re shocked over here to hear the defendants now bring up this $75 million cap,” he said. “We were under the impression it was waived.”
The article makes a point of noting, “Some lawmakers tried to raise the cap retroactively to $10 billion, but Senate Republicans blocked those efforts“, without, of course, explaining they’d blocked those efforts thanks to concerns about massive amounts of unconstitutionality/breach of contract LAWSUITS if Democrats did so:
…In last month’s analysis, the Congressional Research Service, which provides expert advice to lawmakers, looked at five constitutional grounds for a legal challenge to the retroactive effect of the Democratic bill.
On three of the grounds, the agency concluded a lawsuit would “appear to have at best a modest chance of success,” while challenges based on the other two would likely fail.
But at Tuesday’s hearing, Jack Coleman, an energy industry consultant who previously worked for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, added that any retroactive change in the 1990 law could open the federal government, which leases offshore tracts to oil and gas companies, to “enormous damages” on breach-of-contract grounds.
I expect we’ll see some attack ads out of this in the waning days of the election. “Republicans hate dolphins and pelicans.” Yeah, yeah, yeah.
“The plaintiff, however, sees it differently,“ Steele wrote. “Her remarkable theory is that, by giving both a white employee and a black employee exactly what they asked, the defendant discriminated between them based on their race.“
Common sense? Say it ain’t so.
Morality, Nanny State | Mr. Bingley | 
October 25, 2010 6:46 am | 
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