Today's "WTF?!" Moment

Embossed on the top of a Deer Park 5-gallon water cooler bottle:

For Drinking Water Only

I can't put out a fire with it? Damn, that's harsh.

Deer Park is really cramping my creativity, here.

Bloomberg - Bad Joke

I knew he was a jerkoff, but DAMN!

“Here’s the insanity, to show you how crazy life is,” the mayor said yesterday during his weekly radio appearance on WABC-AM. “If you get in the middle of the box and you get stuck and you block the traffic in four directions and it backs up in all directions for three to four blocks, they call that a moving violation. The whole idea is that everything has stopped. It’s not a moving violation.”

At least I hope it was a joke. Hey, Mike, quit your day job!

Quote from this article.

And The Fix Is In

Inquiry widens into Justice Department hiring - Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has broadened an internal investigation into whether aides to Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales improperly took into account political considerations in hiring employees, officials familiar with the probe said Thursday.

The expanded inquiry, conducted by the department's inspector general and its Office of Professional Responsibility, comes after testimony Wednesday by former Gonzales aide Monica M. Goodling.

She told a House committee that she had considered party affiliation in screening applicants to become immigration judges.

The Justice Department said it could find no record to support claims by Goodling that taking politics into account to fill positions on the immigration bench had been approved by department officials.

Goodling is already under investigation on suspicion of violating federal civil service rules and department policy for considering political activity while she conducted reviews of candidates for career prosecutors.

She testified before the House Judiciary Committee under a grant of immunity from prosecution.

The internal Justice Department investigation, although focused on Goodling, could turn up embarrassing information about Gonzales' management practices and what, if anything, he knew about the role that politics played in hiring employees protected by civil service laws.

It's pretty plain that this investigation will scapegoat Goodling and declare victory. Note that it, "could turn up embarrassing information about Gonzales' management practices," not that Gonzalez was a criminal and a complete pawn of the White House whose major talent was licking Karl Rove's boots and saying "Whatever you say, sir!" to Bush. Gonzales will be "embarrassed", not fired then prosecuted.

WTC Death Ruled The Result of Dust

For the First Time, New York Links a Death to 9/11 Dust - New York Times

New York City’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, has for the first time directly linked a death to exposure to dust from the destruction of the World Trade Center.

In a letter made public yesterday, Dr. Hirsch said that he was certain “beyond a reasonable doubt” that dust from the twin towers contributed to the death of Felicia Dunn-Jones, 42, a civil rights lawyer who was engulfed on Sept. 11 as she ran from her office a block away from the trade center.

She later developed a serious cough and had trouble breathing, and she died five months after the terrorist attack.

Dr. Hirsch said he had decided to amend Mrs. Dunn-Jones’s death certificate to indicate that exposure to trade center dust “was contributory to her death.” The manner of death will be changed from natural causes to homicide.

But it was safe to breathe, right Christie Whitman?!? Why play it safe when there's stocks that need a-tradin'?

Cutty Sark Damaged by Blaze

Fire Damages Famed Ship in London - New York Times

A spectacular fire caused heavy damage to the clipper ship Cutty Sark on Monday, adding millions to the cost of restoring one of London's proudest maritime relics.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation, but within hours officials responsible for the graceful 19th-century sailing ship said they were determined to carry on with a four-year restoration project.

''We're going to redouble our efforts to ensure that the ship is open, available, back and running in the future,'' said Chris Livett, the chairman of Cutty Sark Enterprises, responsible for restoring the world's only surviving tea clipper.

Update: The Cutty Sark organization is accepting donations for the renovation here.

Background here.

Mike Nilsen Orders Bottle of Champagne Opened

Judge Orders Police Department Files on Preconvention Surveillance Opened - New York Times

A federal magistrate judge yesterday released about 600 pages of secret documents relating to police preparations for the 2004 Republican National Convention, held in New York.

On May 4, the magistrate judge, James C. Francis IV, granted a request by the New York Civil Liberties Union and The New York Times to make the documents public, but also granted a 10-day stay to give the city time to file an appeal.

But in a letter to the judge dated Tuesday, a lawyer for the city, Peter G. Farrell, wrote that the city would not appeal, “in light of the documents’ prior disclosure and corresponding press coverage.”

The city had originally opposed the release of the documents because, it insisted, news organizations and legal groups would “fixate upon and sensationalize them,” and thus taint the potential pool of jurors who might later be asked to decide cases brought in connection with some of the nearly 2,000 arrests during the convention.

We pay for the police. We deserve to have their operations conducted with transparency and oversight. If the release of records will affect a continuing investigation, fine, keep them sealed. If not, release the records. To say that the police operate with the privacy of the citizenry foremost in their minds is nonsense. Their concern with the privacy of those they're supposed to protect extends only as far as the law coerces them to go. Fortunately, the judge didn't buy the 'media sensationalism' bullshit theory.

A tainted jury pool from lame-ass 'crimes' committed three years ago? Please, most New Yorkers don't know a blasted thing about this issue, and if they did, they wouldn't give a shit. And how relevant could these documents, detailing the results of spying on liberal, anti-globalist and anti-war groups, be to the actual Convention arrests? Most of those arrested were just innocent bystanders. It's almost certain that very few of the victims of the spying were arrested.

Here's Some Real Antisemitism!

A recent rash of bogus antisemitism accusations have been tossed at Jewish and non-Jewish critics of Israeli policy and relations. This crackpot demonstrates the real thing:
SPLCenter.org: Promoting Hate

Given its diverse student body, it would seem that CSULB would be the last place to find a tried and true anti-Semite and white supremacist lecturing. But that is where Kevin B. MacDonald, a 63-year-old man who developed a deep-seated mistrust for Jewish activists while protesting the Vietnam War, is employed as the psychology professor for those seeking degrees in child development.

From an office inside the bunker-like, six-story Psych building, a tall, thin, bespectacled MacDonald pumps out pages and pages of material on how Jews are genetically driven to destroy Western societies. According to MacDonald, who considers himself an evolutionary psychologist, Jews, who have typically been in the minority in countries around the world, are compelled by an evolutionary strategy that makes them push for liberal policies, like immigration and diversity, with the intent of weakening the power of the majority that rules them.

Ultimately, MacDonald blames the death of millions on "the failure of Jewish assimilation into European societies" and even suggests that "parity" between Jews and gentiles could be reestablished by discriminating against Jews in college admissions and establishing taxes to reduce "the Jewish advantage" in wealth.

Yeah, this guy is qualified to train child development specialists. Gosh, it's that darn liberal academia again. Quick, somebody call David Horowitz!

Revolt At Justice

President Intervened in Dispute Over Eavesdropping - New York Times

President Bush intervened in March 2004 to avert a crisis over the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program after Attorney General John Ashcroft, Director Robert S. Mueller III of the F.B.I. and other senior Justice Department aides all threatened to resign, a former deputy attorney general testified Tuesday.

And God Said, "Mmmmm... No!"

Falwell asks for 20 more years.

It's Gotta Be a Fart Joke, Right?

Bush Moving on Air Pollution | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush responded to a Supreme Court environmental ruling by settling on regulatory changes that don't need congressional approval, the White House said Monday.



Bush is announcing the steps he is directing his administration to take to combat air pollution in a Rose Garden appearance later Monday.



White House press secretary Tony Snow said the approach would involve several agencies, including the departments of Transportation, Agriculture and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.



``What the president is now doing is saying to the relevant departments and agencies, `You need to work together,' because it's enormously complex in terms and jurisdiction and everything else,'' Snow said.



Last month, the high court rebuked the Bush administration for its inaction on global warming. In a 5-4 decision, it declared that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases qualify as air pollutants under the Clean Air Act and thus can be regulated by the EPA.



The court also said that the ``laundry list'' of reasons the administration has given for declining to do so are insufficient, and that the agency must regulate carbon dioxide, the leading gas linked to global warming, if it finds that it endangers public health.

Smackdown: Scientology vs. The BBC!

BBC denies 'death threat' in Scientology row - Telegraph

The BBC has hit back at accusations that it orchestrated a demonstration against Scientologists during which a "terrorist death threat" was allegedly made.



John Sweeney's rant: BBC denies 'death threat' in Scientology row

John Sweeney on his outburst: 'What I did was wrong and stupid and I am embarrassed about it'



It comes as a bitter row develops between the Corporation and Scientologists over a highly critical Panorama documentary about the religion, in which a veteran reporter lost his temper and screamed for 30 seconds at a Church member.



The BBC has seriously reprimanded John Sweeney for the outburst, which the journalist has admitted was "wrong and stupid".



The church posted the clip of Mr Sweeney's rant on the self-broadcasting website YouTube, and has now distributed 100,000 copies of a DVD it made of the BBC crew filming the documentary.



It released the DVD to MPs, peers and religious leaders in an offensive to counter allegations made against Scientologists in the Panorama film. The BBC documentary will be aired on BBC1 tomorrow.

There's absolutely no way that the CoS is milking this for every ounce of publicity they possibly can, right? It's not like Scientology is always pretending to be the victim, right? Do I sound sarcastic?



When you tack on 'terroristic' to an alleged death threat, and you're not an FBI agent, you will set off bullshit detectors.

Newyorkitecture

Some building. Kinda nice.

A cornice.

Jersey Terrorists: Fucked Up Like Everything Else In Jersey

6 Arrested In New Jersey Terror Plot, Official: 6 Yugoslav Nationals Conspired To Kill Soldiers At Fort Dix Army Base - CBS News

At the time of the arrests, the plot was in the planning stages and no attack was imminent, CBS News has learned. Officials said this is more of a "homegrown" plot with no ties to al Qaeda or any other international terrorist organization, CBS News reports.



A law enforcement official said that the men had lived in the United States for some time and were arrested as part of a joint federal and local investigation.

They trained in the Poconos (snigger). I wonder if they used the Sunset Hill Shooting Range for target practice? Or practiced maneuvers at beautiful Mount Airy Lodge? There's nothing like relaxing in a tub shaped like a giant champagne glass after a hard day's training.

Digital Cameras Help Convict NYC Abusers

Digital cameras are providing evidence in domestic violence cases where the victims may be reluctant to testify.

In Domestic Abuse, Digital Photos Can Say More Than Victims - New York Times

Providing digital cameras to the police is revolutionizing the prosecution of domestic violence in New York City, according to district attorneys, victim advocates and forensic technicians.



In Queens, the first borough to use the technology, prosecutors say there has been a notable increase in conviction rates since the police there began taking digital photos at domestic violence scenes about five years ago.

See, That Didn't Hurt, Did It?

Climate plan arms world for key talks - Boston.com

BANGKOK, Thailand --From nuclear power to reforestation to better toasters, the world now has a game plan from climate experts for fighting global warming, a report their chief scientist says will have a "profound influence" on upcoming negotiations.

American officials questioned the economic cost, and the Chinese questioned whether fast results could be achieved. But a leading expert said there was little choice.

"If we continue doing what we are doing now, we are in deep trouble," said Ogunlade Davidson, co-chairman of the U.N.-sponsored group that produced the report, approved by consensus by more than 120 nations Friday at the end of a weeklong meeting.

A 35-page summary of a 1,000-plus-page study, the report said the world must significantly cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by sharply improving energy efficiency in buildings, vehicles and even kitchen appliances; shifting from fossil fuels to nuclear, wind, solar and other renewable energy sources; saving forests as "carbon sinks"; capping agricultural emissions, and taking many other steps.

The Weasel And The Ferret

It's A Veto!

Surprise, surprise!
Bush vetoes bill that would require Iraq pullout

President George W. Bush vetoed legislation on Tuesday that would force him to begin withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq this year, setting up a new showdown with Democratic leaders in Congress over funding the war.

"Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a deadline for failure, and that would be irresponsible," Bush said in a nationally televised speech shortly after issuing only the second veto of his presidency.

"And, trust me, I know all about irresponsibility," he added.

Extra Crispy

Concerns surface over human food

The FDA says that 38 poultry farms in Indiana received contaminated feed from China in early February and fed it to poultry within days of receiving it. Thirty of the farms raise broiler chickens for people to eat. Eight farms raise chickens for breeding.

The FDA says all of the broilers believed to have been fed chicken contaminated with melamine have since been processed into food, and adds the likelihood of illness after eating those chicken is quote "very low."

When melamine first showed up in tainted pet food, it appeared that this might have been an isolated incident, but Chinese business officials have told The New York Times that melamine has been "routinely added" to various types of animal feed there for years. Why? To make buyers think that the protein levels were higher than they actually were, increasing market value.

So why did melamine suddenly start killing pets?

Scientists now say because it was combined with another chemical..

"I think we've identified what we feel is an important and likely underlying positive agent of why the animals are getting sick," said Alan Wildeman, from the University of Guelph.

Scientists from Canada and the U.S. believe they may have unlocked the mystery. They've learned that melamine combined with another contaminant found in the pet food, cyuranic acid, forms crystals in the kidneys.

"What we've done is experiments that show if you take cat urine and you add melamine to it and cyuranic acid, the crystals will form in the cat urine in a test tube as we're watching them, so it happens within a matter of hours," Wildeman said.

The crystals are suspected of killing the pets. The ASPCA has just seen a case that suggests that's exactly what happened.