October 20, 2005

Electrical Energy

The CIA's venture capital arm, In-Q-Tel, has announced a strategic development agreement with SkyBuilt Power Inc. The CIA seems to be interested in SkyBuilt's new Mobile Power Station, which can be parachuted into remote locations (my back yard) and be up and running in a few hours with only 2 people needed to set it up. The MPS harnesses both solar and wind power and is capable of up to 150 kilowatts of electricity. The devices use off-the-shelf components and easily swappable parts to be cost-effective."

October 19, 2005

I QUIT.

After 50 years of cigarette tobacco smoking, I quit October 11, 2005. No cold turkey bullshit for me, been their don that. Patches for 8 weeks and Bupropion for how ever long it takes.
Why did I quit?
$7.12 a day.
$2534.72 a year.

"Signs You Smoke Too Much"

1. In the middle of smoking a cigarette, you pause for a "cigarette break."

2. Your birthday is a state holiday in North Carolina.

3. Your title for the Surgeon General: "Captain Bring down".

4. Cracking your knuckles leaves you winded.

5. Morning schedule: Wake up, cough for three hours, take nap.

6. In your neighborhood, they give directions by saying. "Go down to the big pile of cigarette butts...”

7. You get mattress fires more often than haircuts.

8. You smoke during sex.

9. You refer to nonsmokers as "pink-lunged sissy boys."

10. You explain to the nurse that you didn't realize you were in a "nonsmoking" iron lung.

October 12, 2005

Reporter testifies over CIA leak

A New York Times reporter has appeared for the second time before a grand jury investigating the leaking of the identity of a secret CIA agent.
Judith Miller is reported to have found notes about previously undisclosed talks with a vice-presidential aide.

The name of CIA agent Valerie Plame was revealed by another journalist in 2003. Her identity was alleged to have been leaked by a White House official.

Ms Plame's husband, an ex-diplomat, had criticised President Bush over Iraq.

Former ambassador Joseph Wilson claims the Bush administration deliberately tried to get back at him by identifying his wife.

The special prosecutor must determine if anyone deliberately revealed Ms Plame's identity to journalists and whether they knew she was a covert agent.

If he finds that this was the case, he could bring criminal charges.

Several White House officials have appeared before the grand jury, including Lewis "Scooter" Libby, an aide to the vice-president, and presidential adviser Karl Rove.

Denial

Miller - who never wrote a story about Ms Plame - initially refused to co-operate with the investigation, citing a confidentiality arrangement she had made with her source.

But after she had spent 85 days in jail, Mr Libby waived the pledge and she testified on 30 September about two conversations with him.

After that appearance, the New York Times reports, Miller found some notes in the newsroom relating to a third conversation with Mr Libby.

She handed these notes over to the prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, on Tuesday, ahead of her second appearance before the grand jury.

Mr Fitzgerald has said he will also summon Karl Rove to testify for the fourth time before the grand jury, which is not open to the public.

Mr Rove had conversations about Plame with at least two other journalists, but he says he did not name her and did not even know her name at the time.

Mr Libby also says he learnt her name at a later date.

The prosecutor is expected to report on the inquiry by the end of the month.

October 11, 2005

10 Most Wanted



F. B. I.

Federal Burial of Investigations
10 Most Wanted.
Texas Mafia.
By BackyardPit


1. George W. Bush

2. Dick Cheney

3. Karl Rove

4. Tom Delay

5. Jack Abramoff

6. Bill Frist

7. Donald Rumsfeld

8. Lewis Libby

9. Dennis Hastert

10. Condoleezza Rice

This is what the F B I's, 10 most wanted list should look like. And this is just 10 of them.

Two down, eight to go.

October 10, 2005

I just like the way it sounds.

Tom Delay indicted for illegal campaign financing, I’ll say it again, Tom Delay indicted. I just like the way it sounds. After years of pushing it to the ethical edge and at least five admonishments for it, Tom Delay finally slipped and fell flat on his face. Of course that’s not how the Hammer is telling it.
You know the drill, when accused of something don’t defend, attack. Ronnie Earle; the man prosecuting Delay, is a partisan zealot out to derail a distinguished career. It couldn’t have been Delay’s fault. He lives a special rarefied place called, the GOP no guilt zone. It’s a magic place where all you have to say is, “I’m not guilty” to make it so, whether its outing a CIA agent, starting an illegal war, handing out no bid contracts, screwing up disaster relief or illegal, campaign financing. If you say you didn’t do it, you obviously didn’t do it. Why? Because you said you didn’t do it, silly.
Of course, the no guilt zone is only open to those who serve under Emperor George Bush. The good news is, as of this week, thanks to Tom Delay, it’s in the process of being redistricted.

~Randi Rhodes