there are problems with blogger now, and you IE users who are not viewing my page properly are asked to get firefox. seems blogger's templates scream anti-microsoft epitaphs via the code in their pages.

where's that picture of bush holding hands with the saudi prince?

instead of defeating terrorism, bush is actually helping it along.

The account of Qahtani's death, like many other individual entries on the Web sites, cannot be verified. But independent experts and former government terrorism analysts who monitor the sites believe they are genuine mouthpieces for the al Qaeda-affiliated radicals who have made Iraq "a melting pot for jihadists from around the world, a training group and an indoctrination center," as a recent State Department report put it. The sites hail death in Iraq as the inspiration for a new generation of terrorists in much the same way that Afghanistan attracted Muslims eager to fight against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

the WaPo

WWIII is just around the corner folx

in its entirety because it's just that important.

the rumor is june.

this could blow up winth consequences that nobody is prepared for.

ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme.

The inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave “initial authorisation” for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert.

Israeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment plant in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids by Israel’s elite Shaldag (Kingfisher) commando unit and airstrikes by F-15 jets from 69 Squadron, using bunker-busting bombs to penetrate underground facilities.

The plans have been discussed with American officials who are said to have indicated provisionally that they would not stand in Israel’s way if all international efforts to halt Iranian nuclear projects failed.

Tehran claims that its programme is designed for peaceful purposes but Israeli and American intelligence officials — who have met to share information in recent weeks — are convinced that it is intended to produce nuclear weapons.

The Israeli government responded cautiously yesterday to an announcement by Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, that America would support Britain, France and Germany in offering economic incentives for Tehran to abandon its programme.

In return, the European countries promised to back Washington in referring Iran to the United Nations security council if the latest round of talks fails to secure agreement.

Silvan Shalom, the Israeli foreign minister, said he believed that diplomacy was the only way to deal with the issue. But he warned: “The idea that this tyranny of Iran will hold a nuclear bomb is a nightmare, not only for us but for the whole world.”

Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, emphasised on Friday that Iran would face “stronger action” if it failed to respond. But yesterday Iran rejected the initiative, which provides for entry to the World Trade Organisation and a supply of spare parts for airliners if it co-operates.

“No pressure, bribe or threat can make Iran give up its legitimate right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” said an Iranian spokesman.

US officials warned last week that a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israeli or American forces had not been ruled out should the issue become deadlocked at the United Nations.

London Sunday Times

"shoot first, ask questions later"

this policy of shoot first, ask later, is insane. just think if the other side adopted the same stance.

British defence chiefs have warned United States military commanders in Iraq to change their rules for opening fire or face becoming bogged down in a terrorist war for a decade or more.

The Telegraph has learnt that the warning was issued last month in response to a series of incidents that led to the deaths of Iraqi civilians, mainly at checkpoints, after soldiers opened fire in the mistaken belief that they were being attacked by suicide bombers.

The warning is said to have taken the form of advice from senior officers who accompanied Gen Sir Mike Jackson, the chief of the General Staff, on a recent trip to southern Iraq and Baghdad to visit British troops.

A conversation took place between officers on the differences between British and American rules of engagement, during which British commanders expressed their concerns over the use of US tactics.

They attempted to explain that in their experience of post-war counter-insurgency operations it paid to adopt a low-key and less aggressive stance.

In the past month alone in Iraq there have been more than 130 car bombings and 67 suicide attacks that have killed more than 400 people. The attacks have led to renewed fears among coalition officials that American and Iraqi forces are losing the fight against the insurgency.

According to senior British officers, US military operations are typified by "force protection" - the protection of troops at all costs - [EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING ARMOUR] that allows American troops to open fire, using whatever means available, if they believe that their lives are under threat.

By contrast, the British military has a graduated response to a threat and its rules of engagement are based on the principle of minimum force. Troops also have to justify their actions in post-operation reports that are reviewed by the Royal Military Police, and any discrepancy can lead to charges including murder.

A British officer said that some of the tactics employed by American forces would not be approved by British commanders.

The officer said: "US troops have the attitude of shoot first and ask questions later. They simply won't take any risk [KINDA HARD FOR ROBOTS TO THINK].

"It has been explained to US commanders that we made mistakes in Northern Ireland, namely Bloody Sunday, and paid the price.

"I explained that their tactics were alienating the civil population and could lengthen the insurgency by a decade. Unfortunately, when we ex-plained our rules of engagement which are based around the principle of minimum force, the US troops just laughed."

the uk telegraph

AND WHO IS LAUGHING NOW?

filed under "well DUH" heading

slate's TP takes the nytimes to task (about time) for saying one thing in the headline, and groping to support the headline throughout the body.

our 'enemies' (haters of freedom, insurgents, terrorists and whatever else they have been named over the last 2 years) are actually iraqis being shut out of the political process.

The hopeful title of the NYT lead—"Some Sunnis Hint at Peace Terms in Iraq, U.S. Says,"—hasn't much to do with the article itself. Never in the 1,800-word story is the reader told what the hints at peace are, or who or where they're coming from, or how much of the insurgency they represent. Further muddling the article is that no named goverment sources are quoted on the issue, and the only quote from an anonymous source—"an American official in Baghdad"—doesn't arrive until the end of the article, perhaps because it's so vague: "What I'm seeing is a new willingness of people who used to be [opposed] to join the process." The article, it turns out, is mostly about how difficult it would be to negotiate with the insurgents, since we don't know who they are, and the only people who do are probably untrustworthy.

attribution

Letter Of The Day

Having six siblings who completed tours of military duty, including during the Vietnam war, I understand and appreciate the service and sacrifice Ryan Heithoff has given for our country.

However, I cannot agree with his opinion, "I believe the statement, 'I support the troops . . . but not the war,' to be an ugly oxymoron. They go hand in hand." (Letter, "Support Troops and Democracy in Middle East," April 17)

It bears repeating that the war in Iraq was both unjust and illegal. We launched a war of aggression against a country that did not attack us, did not have the means to attack us and had never expressed an intention of attacking us. With our preemptive strike against Iraq, we said to the world that might makes right, and, as a result, many countries now consider the United States to be a rogue nation and a threat to world peace.

The sad part is how many American people have become sheep-like. They believed the lie about weapons of mass destruction and the claims that Iraq's tiny drone airplanes could attack the United States. When those lies were exposed, they believed that the war was justified by Saddam Hussein's cruelty, no matter that the United States has been cozy with many bloody dictators, including Saddam. And now they believe that we went there to spread democracy.

The British Broadcasting Corp. recently interviewed a number of Iraqis, and not one of them mentioned wanting democracy. What they wanted was a strong government that can end corruption and provide security.

A report to the U.N. human rights commission in Geneva has concluded that Iraqi children were actually better off under Saddam than they are now. Can we honestly believe that all Iraqis are better off now that we have dropped bombs on them, destroyed their cities and blew up their hospitals, schools and power stations?

Had it been "the troops" who initiated the Iraq war, I would not support them. But the troops in this and all wars are merely expendable cannon fodder, and so for these reasons, yes, I support the troops but not the war.

-Carolyn Reinhold,
Collins.

attribution

DeLay WATCH

guess who was at his fété for feet?
thanks to josh marshall via judd over at thinkprogress

Celebrity sightings include…Frank Gaffney and James Guckert, heads together in a serious conversation…

my comment? MWAHAHAHA

the fuckfest with their favorite crisco critter later was pretty good that night i'm sure.

filed under SICKO OF THE WEEK

A biology class lesson in Gunnison, Utah involving the dissection of a live dog has outraged some parents and students, according to a report.

think that's bad... wait, there's more:

The school's principal, Kirk Anderson, said notifications went to parents explaining the dog was going to be euthanized and that the experiment would be done with the dog's organs still functioning.

The teacher is standing by his decision and calls it the ultimate educational experience.

Principal Anderson said he supports the lesson and it will be allowed to continue because the students are learning.

the AP

that this was condoned by the principal tells us volumes about today's education system doesn't it.

it cost Americans $300,000,000,000.00 for italy's support

and every red blooded republican should be screaming at the top of his lungs about the corruption within its own party.

but they're all sissies now. led by george w. bush.

ROME - Italian troops were sent to Iraq to secure oil deals worth 300 billion dollars, and not just for post-war humanitarian purposes, an Italian television report by RAI claimed on Friday.

The 20-minute report, broadcast by RAI News 24, the all-news channel of the Italian state-owned network, is based on interviews and official government documents.

In it, the Silvio Berlusconi administration is accused of picking the Nasiriyah area to safeguard a 1997 deal signed by Italy’s largest energy producer, ENI, and former dictator Saddam Hussein.

A government report compiled months before the war broke out recommends that Italy, in case of conflict, should secure the region of Nasiriyah and the nearby area of Halfaya, south of Baghdad, so as to secure “a deal worth 300 billion dollars”.

Both areas are known for its vast oil fields.

attribution

new zoundry feature

testing this new 'template' feature. .... AHHHH, you have to preview it to see it.

i'd rather have it in the background while i'm typing.

where's my list for zoundry suggestions?
oh hell, i'll jus put it here.

• make switching tabs (edit/preview/source) available by control tab (like it is in many other programs)

filed under BRING IT ON!

May 13th, 2005 - Upon completion of action on the pending highway bill, the Senate will begin debate on fair up or down votes on judicial nominations.  As is the regular order, the Leader will move to act on judge nominations sent to the full Senate by the Judiciary Committee in the past several weeks.  Priscilla Owen, to serve as a judge for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Janice Rogers Brown, to serve as a judge for the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, will be the nominees of focus.
The Majority Leader will continue to discuss an appropriate resolution of the need for fair up or down votes with the Minority Leader.  If they can not find a way for the Senate to decide on fair up or down votes on judicial nominations, the Majority Leader will seek a ruling from the Presiding Officer regarding the appropriate length of time for debate on such nominees.  After the ruling, he will ensure that every Senator has the opportunity to decide whether to restore the 214-year practice of fair up or down votes on judicial nominees; or, to enshrine a new veto by filibuster that both denies all Senators the opportunity to advise and consent and fundamentally disturbs the separation of powers between the branches.

[what's disturbing the separation of powers is the reich-wing's push for extremist judges]

 

There will be a full and vigorous Senate floor debate that is too important for parliamentary tactics to speed it up or slow it down until all members who wish have had their say. All members are encouraged to ensure that rhetoric in this debate follows the rules, and best traditions, of the Senate.

 

[and not have any of that FUCK OFF dialog made famous by your very own cheney?]

It is time for 100 Senators to decide the issue of fair up or down votes for judicial nominees after over two years of unprecedented obstructionism.  The Minority has made public threats that much of the Senate’s work will be shut down.  Such threats are unfortunate.

[just try it.  you want to push, we can push back harder.  BRING IT ON BABY]

The Majority Leader has proposed his Fairness Rule: up to 100 hours of debate, and then an up or down vote on circuit and Supreme Court nominations.  Further, the Fairness Rule would eliminate the opportunity for blockade of such nominees at the Judiciary Committee.  And finally, it will make no changes to the legislative filibuster.  
If Senators believe a nominee is qualified, they should have the opportunity to vote for her.  If they believe she is unqualified, they should have the opportunity to vote against her.

Members must decide if their legacy to the Senate is to eliminate the filibuster’s barrier to the Constitutional responsibility of all Senators to advise and consent with fair, up or down votes.

 

from the cat killer's own site

filed under UTTER INCOMPETENCE

why is george w. bush afraid of kim jung il?

 

the million dollar question that screams for an answer.

Even as the White House presses China to find a solution to the nuclear issue, Chinese officials say, it has hurled insults at North Korea and given its leaders excuses to stay away from the bargaining table.

"It is true that we do not yet have tangible achievements" in ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Mr. Yang said in an interview. "But a basic reason for the unsuccessful effort lies in the lack of cooperation from the U.S. side."

Mr. Yang said that when President Bush referred to the North Korea leader, Kim Jong Il, as a "tyrant" in late April, Mr. Bush "destroyed the atmosphere" for negotiations, undoing weeks of efforts to persuade North Korea that the United States would bargain in good faith.

nytimes

 

has nobody figured it out yet....

that the continuing violence in iraq, even against iraqis, is a compelling argument that American forces have lost this war?

filed under WE SHALL OVERCOME

A judge's decision to throw out Nebraska's ban on gay marriage was barely an hour old before the cry went up for a national prohibition on same-sex marriage.

The decision Thursday to overturn Nebraska's same-sex marriage ban - adopted overwhelmingly by voters in 2000 - was a first in the nation by a federal judge.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon of Omaha said the ban went far beyond gay marriage and deprived gays and lesbians of basic rights, including the right to participate in the political process.

He also said the ban known as Initiative 416 was motivated, in part, by an "irrational fear" of and "animus" toward homosexuals.

Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning promised to appeal the ruling, noting that 70 percent of Nebraska voters favored of the ban.

"This is a battle that will be won or lost on appeal, not at the district court level," Bruning said.

A national group that opposes gay marriage said the Nebraska case was a perfect example of why a national ban is needed.

"The democratic voice of the people of Nebraska was muted today by a federal judge," said Matt Daniels, President of the Alliance for Marriage.

ATTRIBUTION

filed under BUSH'S MORAL VALUES

Late last October Dr. W. David Hager, a prominent obstetrician-gynecologist and Bush Administration appointee to the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), took to the pulpit as the featured speaker at a morning service. He stood in the campus chapel at Asbury College, a small evangelical Christian school nestled among picturesque horse farms in the small town of Wilmore in Kentucky's bluegrass region. Hager is an Asburian nabob; his elderly father is a past president of the college, and Hager himself currently sits on his alma mater's board of trustees. Even the school's administrative building, Hager Hall, bears the family name.

...

Back at Asbury, Hager cast himself as a victim of religious persecution in his sermon. "You see...there is a war going on in this country," he said gravely. "And I'm not speaking about the war in Iraq. It's a war being waged against Christians, particularly evangelical Christians. It wasn't my scientific record that came under scrutiny [at the FDA]. It was my faith.... By making myself available, God has used me to stand in the breach.... Just as he has used me, he can use you."

Up on the dais, several men seated behind Hager nodded solemnly in agreement. But out in the audience, Linda Carruth Davis--co-author with Hager of Stress and the Woman's Body, and, more saliently, his former wife of thirty-two years--was enraged. "It was the most disgusting thing I've ever heard," she recalled months later, through clenched teeth.

According to Davis, Hager's public moralizing on sexual matters clashed with his deplorable treatment of her during their marriage. Davis alleges that between 1995 and their divorce in 2002, Hager repeatedly sodomized her without her consent. Several sources on and off the record confirmed that she had told them it was the sexual and emotional abuse within their marriage that eventually forced her out. "I probably wouldn't have objected so much, or felt it was so abusive if he had just wanted normal [vaginal] sex all the time," she explained to me. "But it was the painful, invasive, totally nonconsensual nature of the [anal] sex that was so horrible."

the Nation

 

and speakikng of memogate, and other fascist issues

cuba jumps in with their own take on bushite policy

HAVANA - As world leaders celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany in Moscow’s Red Square on Monday, Communist Cuba held its own parade and accused the United States of using "fascist" policies to dominate the world. 

The president of Cuba’s National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon, denounced the world’s only superpower for employing military force unilaterally in an apparent reference to the US invasion of Iraq.  

"They practice a fascist military doctrine and proclaim their right to attack anyone when they please, using their powerful military machine, without any justification," he said in a speech marking the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Germany’s Third Reich.  

"The Fourth Reich will be defeated. The 21st century will see the final defeat of fascism," Alarcon said, using the occasion to lay into the United States, Cuba’s longtime foe.  

 

new zealand herald

 

Memogate anyone?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Eighty-nine Democratic members of the U.S. Congress last week sent President George W. Bush a letter asking for explanation of a secret British memo that said "intelligence and facts were being fixed" to support the Iraq war in mid-2002.

The timing of the memo was well before the president brought the issue to Congress for approval.

The Times of London newspaper published the memo -- actually minutes of a high-level meeting on Iraq held July 23, 2002 -- on May 1.

British officials did not dispute the document's authenticity, and Michael Boyce, then Britain's Chief of Defense Staff, told the paper that Britain had not then made a decision to follow the United States to war, but it would have been "irresponsible" not to prepare for the possibility.

cnn

Letter Of The Day

comes from the young adult section

Hey, GOP: This is not a theocracy

I'm disgusted by Republican efforts to dismantle the Constitution by bullying their way through the judicial branch of our government. So long as the courts protect the freedoms of all Americans and maintain the separation of church and state, the right-wing evangelical movement is unable to ram a theocracy down our throats. That's why they want to choose what is constitutional and what isn't.

Why else would Republicans start an ad campaign to push Bush's judicial nominees through when Republicans blocked more than 60 Clinton nominees with the same tactics?

They need all the judges they can get to twist the Constitution into the New Testament, which answers to no man. Great, if that's your religion. If it's your government, it's called tyranny.
- Todd Brown, Cleghorn

attribution

 

gotta say, i told ya so .... yesterday

when i brought up why nobody was making the comparisons of social security and the current pension debacle.  and sure enough, the des moines register comes through, in shining colors too.

 

For millions of American workers, the third leg looks awfully shaky these days. That was underscored Tuesday, when a bankruptcy court allowed United Airlines to renege on its pension promises to 120,000 present and retired employees. It's the biggest pension default in history, and there is concern it will start a cascade of similar defaults in the airline industry and beyond.

The turmoil in private pensions should clinch the congressional debate over privatizing Social Security: Don't do it. Don't mess with the one leg of retirement security that is still a sure thing. Don't make Social Security as uncertain as private pensions are.

attribution

 

DeLay WATCH

summed up rather nicely from moveon:

Among his offenses, Tom Delay:

• Accepted trips from corporations and later helped kill legislation they opposed
• Accepted trips from the lobbyist for a foreign government in violation of House rules
• Paid family members more than $500,000 out of campaign contributions
• Helped sweatshops in the Mariana Islands at the behest of a lobbyist.
• Promised a role in drafting legislation to a corporate donor
• Tried to coerce a Congressman for a vote on Medicare
• Allegedly used corporate money given to his PAC to finance Texas campaigns in violation of state law
• Used Homeland Security resources in a dispute with Democrats in Texas
• Diverted funds from a children's charity for lavish celebrations at the Republican convention
• Threatened retaliation against interest groups that don't support Republicans
• Stacked the House Ethics Committee with representatives who have contributed to his legal defense fund
• Crippled the effectiveness of the House Ethics Committee by purging members who had rebuked him
• Pushed for a rules change for the House Ethics process that paralyzed the panel
• Sought a rule change that would have no longer "required leaders to step aside temporarily if indicted"

why hasn't anybody brought up the analogy?

the perfect argument against privatization of social security?

 

the pension debacle.

 

if they cant take care of their pensions, how in the FUCK are they going to take care of your social security funds?

 

and of course, bob schieffer, the new shill at cbs for the republicon party, ignores the opening segue handed to him on a silver platter for asking about the solvency issue.

 

instead, the viewers were treated to another softball discussion on circumstance rather than the crux of the matter.  we were robbed.

 

 

and finally in new york

the once great grey lady, has succumbed to being the peasant with little to offer.

 

it takes TODAY'S PAPERS to set the tone:

Newish NYT op-ed columnist John Tierney bemoans the overwhelming coverage of suicide bombings in Iraq and elsewhere:

If a man-bites-dog story is news and dog-bites-man isn't, why are journalists still so interested in man-blows-up-self stories? I'm not advocating official censorship, but there's no reason the news media can't reconsider their own fondness for covering suicide bombings. A little restraint would give the public a more realistic view of the world's dangers.

There were three car bombs in Baghdad yesterday, killing at least six people. The NYT gives the attacks the most attention. That is, it mentions all three—devoting a single sentence to them.

i rest my case.

and over in chicago

the tribune is doing its job.... as  a piece that came in yesterday is from one who is dispatching FROM THE SCENE.

 

Overnight, the Army's 814th Multi-Role Bridge Company crawled along back roads toward the Euphrates, where the troops were to construct a pontoon bridge that would allow the Marines to cross. The trucks were forced to use their headlights to allow them to spot land mines along the route.

But the routine safety practice apparently alerted area residents to the convoy's presence. An entire town along the route switched off its lights all at once, a move Marines believe is used to send signals from one river town to the next.

notice how the WHOLE TOWN is working against the Americans in tandem?  that means, there are whole towns up and down the river that aren't appreciative of our services.

 

when will MSM cover THAT point?

the whole LAtimes story is well worth the read

short, yet full of descriptions that defy what the rest of MSM portray.

 

that iraq is suffering because of bad management in washington is an understatement.

 

Although politicians in Baghdad aim to coax Sunnis into the political fold, here in Iraq's "wild, wild West," as the region is known, the military option is still paramount. The assault on Ramana is clearly a case in which U.S. forces are going it alone.

Iraqi forces, though growing in capability, are still not ready to mount offensives like the complex operation being launched here. U.S. forces often must transfer troops from one trouble spot to another, movements that insurgents monitor closely. Insurgents often leave areas as U.S. forces move in and filter back once troops withdraw.

The vastness of the region here means U.S. forces cannot maintain a presence in every village, town and city where the insurgents operate.

Residents who might sympathize with the new Iraqi government often choose not to turn in insurgents because they know the U.S. presence in these villages is temporary.

LATimes

file this under BROKEN MEDIA

With their reporters presumably stuck in Baghdad, the other papers basically channel military spokesmen accounts. Skepticism does not abound, nor does careful sourcing. "MARINES KILL 100 FIGHTERS IN SANCTUARY NEAR SYRIA," announces the Post. That figure has issues. As you might notice, most of the papers' stories actually cite "as many as" 100 insurgents killed. (Kind of like TP is "as much as" 6ft. tall). Then turn to the LAT, which quotes the commander in the field puzzling over the hundred figure and saying "a couple of dozen" insurgents were probably killed.

THANKS TP!

loophole city

and this is how the governor of the state of california gets to treat the state.

A. Contractor and Artist have entered into an Actor Loanout Agreement dated as of Jun 6, 2001 (the "Agreement") pursuant to which, inter alia, Artist is rendering acting services in connection with the production of that certain feature length motion picture tentatively entitled "Terminator 3" (the "Picture").

B. A portion of the services of Artist to be provided under the Agreement may be rendered outside the United States.

C. As a material inducement to Artist to enter into the Agreement, and in partial consideration of the performance of services thereunder, Contractor has agreed to reimburse Artist on a fully "grossed up" basis for the payment of any taxes (including, without limitation, income tax, social security tax, payroll taxes and other social charges, the value added tax and any penalties and interest on any of such taxes) to any foreign country or subdivision thereof imposed on Artist by reason of Artist's rendering of services to Contractor in any foreign country under the Agreement (the "Subject Taxes"), all on the terms and subject to the provisions more particularly set forth hereinbelow.

D. The parties' intention in entering into this Tax Reimbursement Agreement is to put Artist in the same economic after-tax position as Artist would have been in had all of Actor's services under the Agreement been performed solely in California through a U.S. "loanout" corporation, and this Tax Reimbursement Agreement shall be interpreted consistent with that intention.

E. The parties' current expectation is that, based on current law and facts, Contractor will not be obligated to make any payments under this Tax Reimbursement Agreement (but such expectation shall have no bearing on the parties= respective rights and obligations under this Tax Reimbursement Agreement).

NOW, THEREFORE, on the basis of the foregoing facts, and in reliance thereon, the parties hereto hereby covenant and agree as follows:
1. Obligation to Reimburse.

(a) Subject to the conditions contained herein, Contractor hereby covenants and agrees to reimburse Artist for an amount (the "Reimbursement Amount") for any calendar year equal to the sum of (i) the amount determined by dividing the difference between the amount determined in Paragraph 1(a)(i) and the amount determined in Paragraph 1(a)(ii), by the number determined in Paragraph 1(a)(iii), plus the amount determined in Paragraph 1(a)(iv):

(i) the sum of the Subject Taxes and the aggregate amount of taxes Artist is required to pay to the United States and any state, city or subdivision thereof, for such year (after taking full advantage of all credits, deductions, offsets and exemptions to which Artist would have been legally entitled under the laws of any of the same); less

(ii) the aggregate amount of taxes which Artist would have been required to pay to the United States and any state, city or subdivision thereof for such year (after taking full advantage of all credits, deductions, offsets and exemptions to which Artist would have been legally entitled) if all of the services by Actor with respect to the Agreement had been performed wholly in California through a domestic "loanout" corporation; divided by

(iii) the excess of one (1) over the actual combined state, city and federal marginal income tax rate of Actor (including the effects of any surtax, plus 1.45% to reflect the hospital insurance portion of FICA) (after taking full advantage of all credits, deductions, offsets and exemptions to which Actor would have been legally entitled) for the year in which the Reimbursement Amount is paid to Artist; plus

(iv) the amount of any professional fees and costs incurred by Artist to obtain foreign tax advice in connection with the Picture, if any.

(b) In computing the Reimbursement Amount, all allowable exemptions, credits, deductions and offsets against the Subject Taxes shall be taken into account and, except as provided to the contrary in Paragraph 4(b), below, Artist shall be deemed to be resident of the United States and the State of California irrespective of Artist's actual residence. The Reimbursement Amount shall not include any amounts solely and directly resulting from actions or omissions on the part of Artist (except to the extent such actions or omissions are undertaken (or not undertaken, as the case may be) consistent with the Tax Reimbursement Agreement, with the Agreement or with the prior written approval of Contractor).

attribution I

attribution II

and iowa continues to give blood

to this greedy criminal's war

Eleven Iowans were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in the first four months of 2005, a higher toll than the figure for the entire year in either 2003 or 2004, military records show.

Overall, 29 Iowans have died in the two countries since March 2003, and an estimated 128 Iowa service members have been wounded. The death toll includes nine soldiers from the Iowa Army National Guard, which is the seventh-highest loss among state National Guards in the country, according to the Department of Defense.

des moines register

Letter(s) of the Day

A Des Moines man reports being sexually abused by a local Catholic priest who is still in a parish ("D.M. Man's Lawsuit Alleges Abuse by Priest," April 28).

In response, the diocese coldly promises to "vigorously defend any claim" the church doesn't find credible. When will church officials finally start responding to victims with compassion instead of combativeness?
-Barbara Dorris,
outreach coordinator, SNAP,
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,
St. Louis, MO.

and

I don't believe there have been any terror alerts since the November election. You don't suppose the alerts prior to the election had anything to do with politics, do you?
-David Leonard,
Adel.

attribution

 

is rapture at hand?

one only needs to listen to fauxnews, or in this case, abcnews (it's hard to tell the difference any more between them), and come away with the feeling that there are people who really believe it is.

 

i certainly can not put that into the same basket with which i carry this death knoll.  but i will say that there is a change in the making.  given that this government is completely controlled by republicons, will the only thing left be rapture?

one of my favorite saying is

"what cracker jack box did he find HIS diploma in?"

GOTTA LUV JON NSTEWART

there's nothing that can be said about him that would make me think any different.  he is a gem.

well, i'll be damned....

i can see souls.

a suggestion to the parks director, mr. suby:

how do you get rid of graffiti?

 

build a blank wall that is just for them.

and have contests.

 

 

hell, put up 10 walls.

and finally.... WE WERE BORN THAT WAY

it's official.  homosexuals are biologically different animals than heterosexuals.

WASHINGTON - Gay men's brains respond differently from those of heterosexual males when exposed to a sexual stimulus, researchers have found. The homosexual men's brains responded more like those of women when the men sniffed a chemical from the male hormone testosterone.

yahoo

filed under: KOREAN THREAT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States sought to coax North Korea back to the negotiating table on Monday by saying it viewed the communist nation as sovereign and would hold direct talks as part of six-party nuclear discussions.

attribution

 

 

open call to democrats in the senate:

get your plans together on SS and make it newsworthy to have the networks cover it. 

 

for more than a day.

 

the time is ripe for the American public to hear what the democrats have to offer.  even if it izz more than 1 plan.

 

howard dean is the perfect person to do this and should be totally in charge of all that is done surrounding the social security debate, in an attempt to stop the republicans.

 

the democrats have been completely powerless for the last 7 years.

 

and look at the mess we're in.

 

what better campaign slogan can there be?  we can do better.

 

WE CAN DO BETTER.

 

wanna laugh?

http://www.newshounds.us/2005/05/06/bizarre_sex_habits_of_the_extreme_rightwing.php

 

i'm subscribed to newshounds for a while now, and i would suggest you do the same.  they are but the finest group of journalistic critiques i have ever witnessed.  however low the target goes, these folx seem to keep it fresh, solid, and reflective.

and lastly, our Joke of the Day

... The LAT notices that President Bush had a "youth round-table" in Holland yesterday, during which, in an apparent failure of advance work, the president was actually asked questions. "You made many laws after 9/11," said the first student. "I'm wondering, will there be a time when you drop those laws and when you decrease the measures?" The next second student said the U.S. has been involved in "a lot of wars," and wondered how Americans cope. That was the last query heard by reporters, who were subsequently "ushered from the room." The chat continued, but was not "included in the White House transcript."

Slate

and speaking of broken media

the nytimes seems to think it knows how to mend her soul.

 

lo and behold, the blogs could tell 'em that, but they had to go and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on some fancy schmancy report that still doesn't hit the target.  mwahahaha, the fools.

In order to build readers' confidence, an internal committee at The New York Times has recommended taking a variety of steps, including having senior editors write more regularly about the workings of the paper, tracking errors in a systematic way and responding more assertively to the paper's critics.

nytimes

file this under: how the media is broken

Two months ago, the NYT and LAT led with Egypt's announcement that it would have big-time free and fair elections. At the time, the papers all noted that the proof would be in the details. Two months later the details are here: Egypt's rubber-stamp upper-house of Parliament laid out the actual rules, and as it happens they effectively bar independent candidates . Problem is, that's neither clearly nor prominently conveyed in the itty-bitty wire piece in the NYT, or the longer one in the LAT.  So far as TP sees, the Post skips it altogether. The details come courtesy of a blog.

courtesy of today's papers

incompetence defined

The NYT fronts a bunch of chemical plants in northern New Jersey, particularly a chlorine plant, that mark "what terrorism experts call the most dangerous two miles in America." According to the Times, the EPA estimates that the chlorine plant has the possibility of being a "lethal threat" for a 14-mile radius, home to 12 million people. (Another study, not cited by the NYT, put the number at just a couple million.) The paper says the chlorine plant is so poorly guarded that a "reporter and photographer drove back and forth for five minutes, snapping photos with a camera the size of a large sidearm, then left without being approached." Federal counter-terrorism funding for Jersey has been cut this year from $99 million to $60 million.

Letter of the Day III

one more....

 

In his April 17 letter ("Even Judges Need Discipline"), David Rader describes the relationship of the Judiciary to the Executive and the Legislative as "a little boy and his mother and his father."

This is erroneous, but perhaps the simile is still apt. The U.S. House of Representatives best fits the description of a misbehaving toddler, throwing temper tantrums when it doesn't get its way.

The public, if not a "parental" court, needs to take this squalling brat on a well-deserved trip to the woodshed.

-L. Lenfred Link,
Maxwell.

attribution

 

Letter of the Day II

couldn't let this one pass....

 

Every year the U.S. State Department submits a report on terrorism to Congress. This year the department decided not to include figures in the report.

Why would it do this? Because in 2003 there were a record number of major terror attacks. In 2004 there were three times as many major terror attacks as in 2003.

The president wants you to believe we have the terrorists on the run - we are smoking them out of their holes. During his international war on terror, terrorism has tripled.

Naturally the Bush administration does not want the people to know about their horrible failure. Many people warned that if we went to war against Iraq, and no weapons of mass destruction were found, terrorism would increase.

What happened? We are living in a world that is substantially more dangerous than before.

-Dana Barrer,
Mitchellville.

attribution

 

the letter on iverson's site

and now he won't be able to say it was never there.

Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) has been a big topic up here this week in the Legislature. We debated an amendment to the IPERS bill dealing with funding of the retirement system, through worker and employer contributions. Currently IPERS is in a state of concern. For two reasons: a few slim years on investments in the stock market and people are living longer. We must make changes if we want retirees to receive the benefits they have invested in.

IPERS is a state sponsored retirement system of guaranteed benefits for public employees: state, cities, counties, townships, agencies and school districts are all eligible for these benefits. Many funds on the stock market have seen a decline and IPERS is one of them. Currently there is a shortfall in the fund, as there is a shortfall in many personal retirement accounts invested on Wall Street. History shows us returns on investments go up and down, and it is not anyone’s fault that the economy is currently not doing as well as it once did.

Since IPERS beginning members pay 40% and the employer pays 60% of the invested retirement funds. It is a tremendously generous fund the employee and taxpayers contribute into for personal retirement. But with the growing age of retirees, to keep the fund solvent changes need to be made.

A change to the IPERS system is a difficult decision to make, 160,000 public employees in Iowa are affected. Right now the fund is 88.6% funded, but ten years ago the fund was at 98%. To stay solvent, or fully invested, it needs a return on investment of 7.5% which is a high return rate to achieve every year. To get the retirement system 100% the legislature would need to appropriate $243 million to the fund. I am concerned the fund remains solvent because so many Iowans are depending on IPERS as their full retirement plan. But is it right to ask the employer (all Iowa taxpayers) to pay more because our return on investment is not as good as it used to be?

The proposed change in the contributions would go from a percentage break of 40/60, with the 40 percent being funded by the employee to an even split of 50/50 percent with employee and employer investing the same portion. Unfortunately, the amendment failed and there have been no changes to the IPERS system.

If your retirement fund is weakening due to a slide in the stock market, do you come to the government and ask them to make up the difference?

IPERS is the public employee’s retirement fund, not all Iowa residents are able to contribute or draw from this fund. I think that we, all state employees, should be willing to shoulder more of the responsibility of keeping the fund solvent even if it means paying a little more into it. I feel we should have a 50/50 split, employee invests $50 and the employer invests $50.

In this plan there are absolutely no benefit reductions in the proposed bill for current employees. Not a single employee will have to work a day longer because of this bill. No changes are made to retirement dates for current employees. The bill will only protect the integrity of the IPERS fund. However, if no changes are made to contribution rates, the unfunded liability will grow and in time the benefits will be at risk.

Thank you for taking the time this week to learn more about IPERS. This is an extremely important issue that affects many Iowans, so legislators will continue to work with the IPERS people to find an acceptable solution to the IPERS program whose benefits are at risk.

Anytime you are here, please stop by my office and say hello. Visit my website at www.stewiverson.com to check out pictures of our guests, along with press releases and an archive of my weekly column.

Please contact me if you have any comments on this or any other issue. During the legislative session, you can contact me in my Des Moines office at 515-281-3560. As always, you can reach me in Dows on the weekends at 515-852-3350 or contact me via email at stewart.iverson@legis.state.ia.us .

http://www.stewiverson.com/insights/2005-14.asp

 

Letter of the Day

As Republicans push for privatization of Social Security, Stewart Iverson, Republican leader in the Iowa Senate, is concerned about the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS).

In a letter to constituents, Iverson said he wants to increase the employee contribution toward retirement because the stock-market slide has caused the IPERS fund to be underfunded. Iverson makes the point that the stock market could again fully fund IPERS sometime in the future, but his analysis overall says volumes about privatization of Social Security.

Iverson says "a few slim years on investments in the stock market and people are living longer. We must make changes if we want retirees to receive the benefits they have invested in." Obviously the stock market has not been the answer for IPERS, which has always invested carefully. Iverson indicates his confidence in the stock market by suggesting that Iowa employees must contribute more to the fund because private employers do not contribute more to their funds in down years.

Iverson states: "The bill will only protect the integrity of the IPERS fund. However, if no changes are made to contribution rates, the underfunded liability will grow and in time the benefits will be at risk."

Those are partial quotes, and the letter is on his Web site [www.stewiverson.com], but this is not a ringing endorsement of stock-market based retirement funds. While the Republican Party trumpets privatization of Social Security, one of its well-known Iowa members is concerned that stock that the stock t hold up a fund that previously had been well respected and very solvent.

If a well-regarded group-retirement plan like IPERS cannot remain fully funded by its own contributions and employer contributions, how can we expect individual Social Security funds to provide the security that retirees need?

-Harold Tuchel,
Waterloo.

attribution

a milestone

a sad milestone at that....

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Total U.S. troop casualties in the Iraq war passed 1,600 Sunday, according to a CNN count, when two soldiers were killed near Khaldiya and a third died in Samarra.

CNN

HE LIES LIKE A RUG

from a guy who runs around the globe beating his chest as if he's the biggest gorilla, making noise about freedom on the march, sacrificing freedom for stability is exactly what he has done to America.

RIGA, Latvia, May 7 -- President Bush condemned the Soviet subjugation of Eastern Europe after World War II but acknowledged Saturday that the United States bore some blame for the "division of Europe into armed camps" and vowed never again to trade freedom for stability.

attribution

HYPOCRISY ALERT

"All free and successful countries have some common characteristics—freedom of worship, freedom of the press, economic liberty, the rule of law and the limitation of power through checks and balances," Mr. Bush remarked.

 

attribution

incompetence defined

another definition of why we call the bushites the most incompetent administration ever in all of American history.  the label "most corrupt" comes to mind as well.

As a result, the likelihood of detecting a hidden weapon or bomb has not significantly changed since the government took over airport screening operations in 2002, according to the inspector general at the Department of Homeland Security. Transportation security officials acknowledge that they cannot improve performance without new technology, but they dispute suggestions that no progress has been made.

"We have created a much more formidable deterrent," said Mark O. Hatfield Jr., a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration. "Do we have an absolute barrier? No."

Counting machinery and personnel, aviation screening has cost more than $15 billion since 2001, a price that Representative John L. Mica, Republican of Florida, says has hardly been worthwhile.

from nytimes, an article well worth reading, if you're not a bushite.

Quote of the Day

 God protect me from those that would protect me.
--Stan Olsen

 

attribution