Open thread 11/17

Thread

42 Comments

  1. Kansas Meadowlark
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 1:10 am | Permalink

    http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2007/11-16.htm

    Integrity of Kansas Elections Less Important to IRS than “Privacy Rights” of Groups Abusing Non-Profit Laws

    The IRS is ignoring the rights of the citizens of Kansas to know anything about the two non-profit groups that spent almost $450,000 in the 2006 elections. There’s something very wrong when a “non-profit” only exists to send political mailings in the weeks before an election, yet no one at the IRS seems to care. Why is the IRS hiding information from the public about who is really behind these “non-profits”? Yesterday an IRS official claimed there is NO APPEAL to such information requests and no information will ever be released about these non-profits.

    There’s something very wrong when a “non-profit” only exists to send political mailings in the weeks before an election, yet no one at the IRS seems to care. This is a corrupt system and violation of equal protection under federal laws, whether or not this is technically legal according to the IRS.

  2. political_mom
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 3:49 am | Permalink

    Geez Mentalsqualk…this AGAIN?

    Even after all your raving, Kansans STILL don’t like Phill Kline. Don’t want him around here, nor there. Don’t want him in a chair…don’t want him in our hair.

  3. Posted November 17, 2007 at 3:58 am | Permalink

    Friends of Julie and Mountain Man: he continues to improve.

    comnsens2003@yahoo.com

  4. writerdog
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 4:06 am | Permalink

    “The offences occurred while Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, was on the board of Chevron, where she was so highly regarded that the company named an oil tanker after her“.

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c2af5476-931f-11dc-ad39-0000779fd2ac.html

    Chevron pays $30m in Iraq bribes caseBy Harvey Morris in New York
    Published: November 15 2007 02:00 | Last updated: November 15 2007 02:00Chevron, the second largest US oil company, yesterday agreed to pay a $30m (€20m, £15m) settlement after acknowledging bribes were paid for oil it obtained under the United Nations oil-for-food programme to Iraq.The Chevron investigation is one of the highest-profile cases to emerge from a scandal-plagued UN programme that was designed to protect the Iraqi people from the worst effects of international sanctions during the Saddam Hussein regime. Yesterday’s settlement was the largest so far to arise from the scandal.An investigation that included Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, the New York police and the US treasury department revealed that Chevron bought crude from third parties who paid bribes and secret surcharges that ended up in the pockets of the Iraqi regime. Investigators concluded that the oil group should have known about the bribes.Hussein and other Iraqi officials obtained a total $1.8bn in kickbacks from the oil-for-food programme.A statement issued by the US attorney’s office and the New York federal court said $20m of the Chevron settlement would go to a UN-mandated development fund to assist Iraq.“The offences occurred while Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, was on the board of Chevron, where she was so highly regarded that the company named an oil tanker after her. Ms Rice headed a Chevron committee that reviewed political factors that could cause problems for the company“.US authorities agreed not to pursue criminal and civil charges against the company in the light of Chevron’s co-operation with investigators. The company guaranteed to continue that co-operation and to improve its compliance procedures to prevent future violations by its employees. Chevron gave an assurance that employees involved in the bribe scandal had left the company.Chevron said in a statement that it had been company policy not to participate in any transaction involving Iraq in which it had reason to believe illegal payments had been made.It said, however, that US authorities had told it that one Chevron crude oil trader made deals in which he knew or should have known such surcharges were paid by third parties.The US attorney’s office in New York has won guilty verdicts against two people and secured guilty pleas from two companies and seven other defendants in its legal campaign against those who illegally profited from the UN programme.A 2005 report by Paul Volcker, former US Federal Reserve chairman, named a number of third-party contractors who sold Iraqi crude to refiners such as Chevron.”http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/copyright“ The Financial Times Limited 2007

  5. Posted November 17, 2007 at 4:28 am | Permalink

    I guess those Hollyfornia Oil Companies from a Blue state just can’t be trusted eh writerdog? :)

  6. writerdog
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 4:54 am | Permalink

    True, but to give her the benefit of the doubt. She may had enough middle men involved to have not seen or known about the bribes.It has always struck me, of all the administration Rice is the one that seem to have little if any real dirt on her. Rumsfield was on the board of directors of the European company who sold N. Korea the equipment needed to build their nuclear centrifuge. Cheney is still getting a profit from Halliburton for all their business. I could list all of them but the point is that Rice seems to have escaped most of the dirt. In a way she is like Powell in the administration. A good soldier more then a willing co conspirator, if you know what I mean. The wrong part she played in the run-up was she was name on the “special project for Iraq”.The special intelligence group within the DOD to filter through the raw intelligence looking for damning evidence on Saddam. Which was the source for the Nigeria connection and the meeting with Iraqis intelligence with Atta in the Chec republic. On a personal level she is kind of cute too…Heh

  7. Posted November 17, 2007 at 5:10 am | Permalink

    Dog,

    I was in the same Unit while in the Air Force where a man murdered his wife.

    Am I guilty of murder because I associated with him in the same Unit “company?”

    I find broadly stroked and colored “accusation” without proof one of the most destructive processes in our society.

    With this kind of association, I could ferret out accusation that Senator Kerry is responsible for a large portion of illegal aliens in this country.

    Why? Because his wife, heir to the Heinz Corporation uses illegal aliens to pick their produce so that the Heinz family (including Kerry) can amass a fortune on the broken backs and blistered hands of illegal aliens.

  8. writerdog
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 5:42 am | Permalink

    Kansas if you would note I did say that Rice may very well not have known about Chevron and paying bribes. Unless the subject was brought to her attention as to how paying bribes through a third party would effect the company political. It may have never been brought up to her.

    As to guilt through association, did you know about the murder before hand? If so then you are guilty. I suspect that perhaps Rice was not placed fully in the loop. Either with Chevron or the Bush administration. Like I said, after several years of tracking and research the only real damning thing other then duplicity with the agenda. Was Rice played a part in the special group that fed both Congress and the American people disinformation.

  9. Roo-Ster
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 5:53 am | Permalink

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20071117/hl_hsn/earlysexualactivitymaycurbteendelinquency;_ylt=AsKPNpaNacxiCHRhKmIIQfes0NUE

    Should I let my kids have sex now, or let them grow to be neighbourhood vandals? Do I even dare let them hang out at the corner store? Please, help me…! :)

  10. writerdog
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 5:59 am | Permalink

    OH man can anyone say “antidotal” when someone starts having sex and whether or not they become a “thug”. Falls into the say line as porn causes sex killers ( OMG I am about to start that argument again!).

  11. Kev
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 6:00 am | Permalink

    DO NOT ABANDON YOUR OBLIGATIONS

    I an article yesterday about people who abandon the military- especially during wartime. To me, this is totally unacceptable and the military needs to take a harder line than they are with these people. When you sign up for the Army, you know damn good and well that you might have to go to war. And these folks signed up on their own. They were not forced to sign up or drafted. They sat in the military and collected their pay and benefits and then when war came they ran off and abandoned their country and their fellow soldiers. Do not get me wrong here- I am 100% opposed to the war in Iraq BUT a soldier in the military does not get to pick what wars he wishes to fight in. That choice is made by the civilian leaders of the country and ultimatly the voters themselves. Aside from that, there are many ways out of the military if you no longer wish to be there including the “I am gay” option that will get you out today.http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-03-07-deserters_x.htm?POE=click-refer

  12. Posted November 17, 2007 at 6:02 am | Permalink

    Dog,

    Actually the guy who murdered his wife – we found out later he was a “recreational” drug user. I never did find out exactly what drugs he used. Evidently though, the effects of the drugs were enough to be mind altering when he committed the deed.

    The problem I have with stories like you posted is that most readers of news are “scan” or “skim” readers. They will see a name, place or thing and immediately associate guilt or innocences based solely on the inclusion or sometimes even exclusions.

    Notice the author of the article that you provided here did not qualify or disqualify his feign with a statement like “Rice was found not associated in the process by investigators” or “there is no proof that Rice had any knowledge of the deals.”

    Instead, they put up a name and some illegal acts in the same general area to prove that somehow Rice was in on the deal. At least that’s what a lot of people will take away from reading the article.

    It’s “yellow journalism” and is no better than what occurs on the pages of the National Enquirer or any other rag that portrays truth through jaded reporting.

  13. writerdog
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 6:16 am | Permalink

    So true Kansas, that has been one of my complains about our society we have become a two second sound bite educated people. I know my post are often too long for everyone to set and read. But the probe is on-going so it would have been hard for the author to say whether Rice knew or not. Often though it takes such topics to get people to think and discuss.

  14. Posted November 17, 2007 at 6:17 am | Permalink

    “Should I let my kids have sex now, or let them grow to be neighbourhood vandals? Do I even dare let them hang out at the corner store? Please, help me…! :)”

    Come on. The researcher’s name was Harden.

  15. Posted November 17, 2007 at 7:09 am | Permalink

    Randy Scholfied’s article on Jonathan Goodwin was excellent. About a local mechanic who takes gas guzzlers to extremely efficient fuel consumers.

    The question is asked, “Why can’t Auto Makers do this?” There doesn’t appear to be a good answer.

    http://kansas.com/203/story/229052.html

  16. Posted November 17, 2007 at 7:36 am | Permalink

    Mom what are those crunchy bits in my dessert?

    Rodents Shutter NYC Eatery Offering Most Expensive Dessert in the World

    NEW YORK — While serendipity may be the art of finding pleasant things by chance, what health inspectors found at celebrated eatery Serendipity 3 was not very agreeable.

    Officials closed the restaurant Wednesday night after it failed its second inspection in a month. An inspector spotted a live mouse and mouse droppings, fruit flies, houseflies and more than 100 live cockroaches.

    “Both inspections revealed rodent and fly infestation and conditions conducive to pest infestation, including stagnant water in the basement,” the department said.

    People stand in line for hours outside the Manhattan restaurant, known for its extravagant and expensive desserts. Its $25,000 Frrrozen Haute Chocolate features top-grade cocoa, edible gold and shavings of a luxury truffle and was declared the most expensive dessert in the world by Guinness World Records. The eatery also offers a $1,000 sundae named Golden Opulence requiring 48-hour advance notice.”

  17. Posted November 17, 2007 at 7:48 am | Permalink

    Female Road Rage – heh :)

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2677362849377990424

  18. outlander
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 8:30 am | Permalink

    The end of the embryonic cell controversy seems near. Of course next you will hear the protests from those who will lose funding.People resist the temptation to cave on pro-life principle and what happens? It turns out science develops a better, more effective way than the sacrificing embryonic human life to research. Science must be guided based on human moral principles.

    ——————–

    Prof Wilmut, who works at Edinburgh University, believes a rival method pioneered in Japan has better potential for making human embryonic cells which can be used
    to grow a patient’s own cells and tissues for a vast range of
    treatments, from treating strokes to heart attacks and Parkinson’s, and will be less controversial than the Dolly method, known as “nuclear transfer.”

    His announcement could mark the beginning of the end for therapeutic cloning, on which tens of millions of pounds have been spent worldwide over the past decade. “I decided a few weeks ago not to pursue nuclear transfer,” Prof Wilmut said.

    Britain’s new Nobel prize winner and pioneer of stem cell research, Sir Martin Evans of the Cardiff School of Biosciences, commented on the Japanese work: “This will be the long-term solution.”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml;jsessionid=XFT2IYJUHGB4FQFIQMFSFF4AVCBQ0IV0?xml=/earth/2007/11/16/scidolly116.xml

  19. XXX
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 9:14 am | Permalink

    Global warming is a myth concocted by former Vice President Al Gore, the United Nations, Hollywood and the news media, Kentucky lawmakers were told yesterday.

    Chairman Jim Gooch, D-Providence, a longtime ally of the coal industry, said he purposefully did not invite anyone who believes in global warming to testify.

    Neither of Gooch’s invited panelists was a scientist.

    http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/story/231346.html

    Just goes to show stupidity has no boundaries.

  20. XXX
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 9:19 am | Permalink

    Proposed math books for elementary school children and their teachers have resulted in one computation that publishers would just as soon erase – 109,263.

    That’s the number of errors that were uncovered in proposed math textbooks that are under review by the State Board of Education for distribution to schools in the fall of 2008.
    http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/111607dntextextbooks.268c6c7.html

    Is our children learning yet?

  21. XXX
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 9:23 am | Permalink

    Federal agents raided the headquarters of a group that produces illegal currency and puts it in circulation, seizing gold, silver and two tons of copper coins featuring Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.
    http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=776f25a7-1dfa-4694-9829-996458e4ee09

    OOPS!

  22. Kev
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 9:46 am | Permalink

    “”"Female Road Rage – heh :)”"”

    Wow!! That was GREAT!! It captures what the Christmas season and the birth of Jesus are all about!! I cannot want for “black Friday” when we all start celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ by going to the mall and knocking down and trampling old ladies and children! Jesus cannot be more pleased when he sees old ladies laying on the floor of Wal*Mart in a bloody pulp! He loves it when we celebrate his birthday by fighting over parking places! That is what the video reminds me of!

  23. Kansas Meadowlark
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:20 am | Permalink

    Political Mom:

    “Geez Mentalsqualk…this AGAIN”

    One of the non-profits dealt with Phill Kline, but the other non-profit dealt with the Kansas Legislature. There is nothing known for sure about the non-profit behind knocking out certain State Reps.

    With the IRS ignoring non-profit abuse, we want all Kansas politics controlled by secretive non-profits? You think this won’t happen again if the IRS does nothing now?

  24. Blaidd_Drwg
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:23 am | Permalink

    Is it okay when it’s the republicans doing it to the Democrats?

    It seems you only complain when it is the opposite way around.

  25. CapnAmerica
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:25 am | Permalink

    Well, this should be interesting.

    http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/politics/general/view.bg?articleid=1045198

    Kerry takes oilman Pickens up on $1 million Swift Boat challenge

    By Associated Press | Friday, November 16, 2007 | http://www.bostonherald.com | General Politics
    Sen. John Kerry, whose 2004 presidential campaign was torpedoed by critics of his Vietnam War record, said Friday he has personally accepted Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens’ offer of $1 million to anyone who can disprove even a single charge of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

    Pickens, who provided $3 million to bankroll the group during Kerry’s race against President Bush, responded by saying he won’t consider giving Kerry the reward unless he surrenders his combat films, additional military records and wartime journal.

    “While I am prepared to show they lied on allegation after allegation, you have generously offered to pay one million dollars for just one thing that can be proven false,” Kerry wrote to Pickens. “I am prepared to prove the lie beyond any reasonable doubt.”

    The Massachusetts Democrat, a Navy veteran and former prosecutor, said he was willing to present his case directly to Pickens and would donate any proceeds to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

    In an interview, Kerry added: “It’s beyond me; it’s important for all the vets who served with me, who cared about it, whose own records were lied about. The problem is, it’s the way they operate on the other side, and we have to end swift-boating forever. The way to do that is to have this public accounting.”

    . . . . .

    While fellow veterans and reporters disproved many of the group’s claims at the time, Kerry refused to air ads responding to the criticism, and even his own response was muted for fear of legitimizing his critics’ attacks. The senator conceded after losing to Bush, the Republican incumbent, that his lackluster response likely cost him the election.

    Ever since, Kerry has worked to lay the criticisms to rest.

    In May 2005, he began signing the Standard Form 180, giving reporters access to his full Navy record personnel and medical records — something he refused to do during the campaign.

    Subsequent reviews showed those records mostly duplicated documents Kerry released during the 2004 campaign. In addition, they included numerous commendations from commanders who went on to criticize Kerry’s service during the presidential race.

    That disclosure renewed questions about why Kerry did not respond more forcefully with control over the White House at stake.

    Kerry decided against launching a second bid for president, but during the 2006 midterms, and as the 2008 race has formulated, the senator proclaimed he will not only defend his own record, but prevent other candidates from being “Swift-boated.”

  26. CapnAmerica
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:29 am | Permalink

    With the IRS ignoring non-profit abuse, we want all Kansas politics controlled by secretive non-profits? You think this won’t happen again if the IRS does nothing now?

    Posted by: Kansas Meadowlark |

    Gee, Meadowlark, maybe it’s because BushCo. has cut the IRS budget to prosecute tax evaders to the bone.

    He’s against taxes and “big government,” remember?

    The very things that you support Bush for are the things you later whine about.

    Get a clue, RepubliCONs. Gov’t matters. You can’t strangle it and “drown it in the bathtub” (Grover Norquist) and expect only a better life.

  27. Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:40 am | Permalink

    I hope Kerry smokes Pickens and all of those yayhoos who pulled that swift-boating crap!! It will serve them right to be shown as liars!!

  28. Ben
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:51 am | Permalink

    outlander – I had heard about that stem-cell research on NPR. Fascinating. One GREAT benefit- if they can make tisues for ME from MY cells then due to the identical DNA it will not be foreign to my body. Thus, much lass or no rejection issues.

    Let’s hope this research hits paydirt.

  29. CapnAmerica
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:55 am | Permalink

    Speaking of hitting paydirt, Ben.

    I know you’re interested as I am in nuclear fusion.

    Any major progress going on with that?

  30. Posted November 17, 2007 at 11:57 am | Permalink

    ‘UN Panel Gives Dire Warming Forecast’http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071117/D8SVHQ480.html
    “The Earth is hurtling toward a warmer climate at a quickening pace, a Nobel-winning U.N. scientific panel said in a landmark report released Saturday, warning of inevitable human suffering and the threat of extinction for some species.”Future water shortages, sea level rises, etc at link.

    ‘Key Findings of UN Scientific Report’http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071117/D8SVIFGG0.html

  31. Kev
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 12:56 pm | Permalink

    REPUBLICANS SEEK TO THROW COUPLE OUT OF USA FOR GETTING MARRIED!

    That is a fact! Here we have 2 good Americans- one a doctor in a rural area (such people are hard to come by these days) that the Bushies want to toss out of the country. Did they sneak in? NO. Did they cover up a Nazi past? NO. Did they commit a crime in the USA? NO. Did they refuse to pay taxes? NO. What they did was GET MARRIED and with Immigration that is a SIN! You see if you apply to enter the United States LEGALLY and then get married between the time you apply and you are issued a visa- which can take 10 years- then they will kick you out. I had to go through the same crap with them when we would cross the border between my wife’s country (Canada) and the USA. As long as we were single, no problem crossing but the minute we got married BIG problem. Until my wife was issued her green card- which took almost 2 years- we could not cross the border together. Only separate. So if these 2 had simply shacked up and said to hell with the marriage part, they would be fine. But instead of kicking out convicted CRIMINALS like the child rapist who killed the students in New Jersey, the Bushies would rather spend the government’s money seeing that married people are kicked out. This from the “party of family values” of course.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071117/ap_on_re_us/doctor_immigration_appeal;_ylt=AvxpKnjaoOc2d8jTyBZJWnJH2ocA

  32. Kev
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 1:03 pm | Permalink

    MOTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD- He abused and killed my kid but I still love him of course!

    http://www.azcentral.com/news/columns/articles/1031roberts1031.html

  33. Posted November 17, 2007 at 1:57 pm | Permalink

    Brownback among beneficiaries of farm subsidies

    By Lisa HoffmanScripps Howard News ServicePublished Saturday, November 17, 2007

    For some lawmakers, the current U.S. Senate debate on farm subsidies strikes close to home.

    At least six senators, including Kansas’ Sam Brownback, have received government agriculture handouts in recent years.

    —–

    Hmmm.

    Wonder how he’ll vote.

  34. gster
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 3:48 pm | Permalink

    Bush Library

    There’s a show on C-SPAN which discusses presidential libraries. Here’s what the draft plans for the George W. Bush Library now call for:

    The Alberto Gonzales Room – Where you can’t remember any of the exhibits.

    The Hurricane Katrina Room – It’s still under construction.

    The Texas Air National Guard Room – Where you don’t even have to show up.

    The Walter Reed Hospital Room – Where they don’t let you in.

    The Guantanamo Bay Room – Where they don’t let you out.

    The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room – Nobody has been able to find it.

    The War in Iraq Room – After you complete your first tour, they can force you to go back for your second and third– and fourth and fifth– tours.

    The K-Street Project Gift Shop – Where you can buy an election, or, if no one cares, steal one.

    The Men’s Room – Where you could meet a Republican Senator (or two).

    To be fair, the President has done some good things, and so the museum will have an electron microscope to help you locate those few things.

    When asked, President Bush said that he didn’t care so much about the individual exhibits as long as his museum was better than his father’s.

  35. Posted November 17, 2007 at 5:03 pm | Permalink

    “gster” –

    Why wouldn’t a museum praising the triumphs of George WMD Bush’s presidency become a tourist attraction?

    Everyone enjoys Fantasy Land!

  36. ken
    Posted November 17, 2007 at 10:27 pm | Permalink

    BUMMER

    Heard Christmas Carols on 2 radio stations tonight —- another year of too early and too much …

  37. Posted November 18, 2007 at 12:25 am | Permalink

    Good night; Good luck; God Bless; whatever you conceive God to be!!

    Blessings all!!

    And especially to all who believe their was is the only way… They are in need of special blessings!Amen.

  38. Nathan
    Posted November 18, 2007 at 12:28 am | Permalink

    Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

  39. Wahawk
    Posted November 18, 2007 at 12:37 am | Permalink

    Great Idea for US! Should use Body Mass test to qualify people for free Health Care! And use it to screen out Immigrants coming to the US!

    New Zealand Denies Immigration to U.K. Wife Because She’s Too FatSaturday, November 17, 2007Fox NewsNEW YORK — New Zealand immigration officials are keeping a U.K. wife from joining her husband “down under” because they say she is too fat, the Daily Mail reports.

    British citizens Rowan Trezise, 33, and Richie Trezise, 35, are living apart as she tries desperately to shed the pounds needed to comply with New Zealand guidelines that immigrants maintain a healthy BMI, or body mass index.

    BMI is a weight-height ratio that estimates percentage of body fat. The New Zealand Immigration Service requires all applicants to undergo a complete medical examination, which includes body size measures like “waist circumference.”

  40. CapnAmerica
    Posted November 18, 2007 at 11:03 am | Permalink

    Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

    Posted by: Nathan

    Right.

    Too bad about Abraham, Moses, and all the other Old Testament saints.

    Burning in hell forever.

    Tough break.

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