DianaKrall.com - The Official web site of Diana Krall

Although I am a musician and a lover of any music performed well, I have not (up to this point) done music critiques. I am not certain why I have decided to begin doing them now. Whatever the reason, I hope that others find my critiques helpful.

Where to begin... with my latest purchase, I think. Diana Krall - Christmas Songs. There have been many rave reviews of this album. Unfortunately, mine will not be another one. Being a fan of Ms. Krall, I truly wish I could write glowingly about the entire album, but there are only a couple of songs that shine in this collection. "Jingle Bells" is one of them. Ms. Krall seems to have a lot of fun with this song and the band certainly does make it swing right down to the guy shaking the bells. Her "scat" near the end of the song is very cool as the band seems to be in conversation with her. So, what is missing from most of the other songs? In "I'll Be Home For Christmas," Ms. Krall's smokey voice and gift for seducing every consonant come through. However, it feels like most notes are being cut short, almost as if the singer is out of breath. At some brief moments, her voice takes on a quality of someone who has sung too much heavy metal or yelled at a college basketball game the night before the recording, as it scratches near her "break." This shortness of breath and scratchiness of voice are apparent in most of the other tunes as well, so I will not belabor the point by going through the entire album song by song. I hope that Ms. Krall has not developed nodules on her vocal cords as happened with other singers, Billy Joel, Elton John, and Julie Andrews, and that we will continue to hear great things from her in the future. As for the band, it is fantastic and certainly compliments Ms. Krall making the album worth the price on its own. But sadly, I do not find this to be Ms. Krall's best work.

Is Killing the People of Iraq FUN?

Do you believe that we are doing “good works” in Iraq? If so, watch the following video in the format that works best with your system.
QuickTime DSL | 56K Windows Media DSL | 56K RealMedia DSL | 56K

Santorum = Arrogant Hypocrite

Santorum’s hypocrisy is exceeded only by his self-righteous arrogance. He speaks as if he is the only authority from the right-wing on every issue that comes before Congress and the Supreme Court. So, how he managed to force out even a half-hearted criticism of the Bush Administration, I’ll never know. I guess the fear of not being re-elected is enough to make even the biggest armchair hawk turn against his Supreme Leader.

Government showdown could break up Internet

The arrogance of the Bush Administration knows no bounds. To assert that the U.S. should retain sole oversight authority on technical and administrative infrastructure of the Internet is the height of egotism. If the United States is to exist as part of the world community, it must behave as a good neighbor – something for which this administration has neither aspirations nor skill. Our country cannot afford another day – let alone another year – of this administration’s ineptitude. Write to your Representative and Senators to tell them that the Internet belongs to the world, not the United States, and ask them to take measures to stop the Bush Administration from pulling the plug on our connection with the rest of the world. You can find your Representative and Senators by clicking here and choosing to ignore the ad. Do not wait.

Republican = Hypocrite

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051110/ap_on_go_co/leaks_investigation
If this didn’t have such important implications for the future of our democracy it would be hilarious. The Republicans in Congress are going to investigate whether there were laws broken in the leak about “Secret Prisons” created by the CIA in allied nations (which the administration will not admit exist), but will not investigate the prewar intelligence on Iraq. The hypocrisy SCREAMS from this Republican controlled Congress. If you care anything for this country, call your Representative and Senators to demand that the truth be brought to light about the intelligence that was used as a basis for the war in Iraq. Do NOT let them turn our democracy into a corporate controlled despotic regime. The military-industrial complex needs to be dismantled… NOW.

CBS News | Fed Hikes Interest Rate | November 1, 2005�14:42:08

This is brilliant. Because of inflation concerns, the Fed raises interest rates. Why is inflation a problem? ...because of oil prices. Why are oil prices so high? ...because Bush wouldn't release oil reserves until supplies were so depleted that he had no other choice. Who gets hurt most by high oil prices? ...the poor and middle class, especially rural America. So, how does the Fed intend to fix it? ... by raising interest rates, an action which once again hurts the poor and middle class the most.

Bush
1. Sits quietly after being told that the World Trade Centers had just been attacked.
2. Leads us to war based on false information.
3. Lets oil prices more than double before touching the nation's reserves.
4. Keeps FEMA director on payroll after FEMA's "too little, too late" appearance in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

The list goes on and the citizens of the United States sit on their backsides and watch it happen.

Way to go, America.

Apple sells a million videos in new service - Yahoo! News

Apple sells a million videos in new service - Yahoo! News

ARE THESE PEOPLE NUTS??? Two bucks for one episode of a television show? Do you have to watch the commercials with that too? There is no way you could get me to pay that much for a single episode. Apparently some people don't think the networks make enough money from their advertising dollars. I am not one of them. In fact, they could take 80% of the shows off of network television, and I wouldn't even notice. If these folks are that starved for entertainment, they need to take up a hobby or learn to play an instrument, something constructive - not continue their "brain drain" and tossing money out the window. What a shame...

Reefer Madness?? Yes, the Feds Have Lost Their Minds

On October 7, Steven Tuck, a California medical marijuana patient who fled to Canada to avoid going to jail after being raided for growing his own marijuana, was snatched from a hospital by Canadian authorities, driven to the border with a urinary catheter still attached, and turned over to U.S. authorities for prosecution. He was held in jail for five days without medical treatment and without having his catheter removed.
He was released from a Seattle jail to seek medical care last Thursday, but when his treatment is over, he must return to California to face a federal marijuana charge.
Tuck, an Army veteran, used marijuana to treat the chronic pain stemming from a 1987 parachute accident in the Army. Is this how our government rewards its veterans?
If this outrages you like it does me, please do something about it. Please help the Marijuana Policy Project continue lobbying to change these cruel and unjust laws, by making a contribution to the work of MPP.
You can read more about the case of Steven Tuck — whose attorney is being funded by MPP's grants program — here.
And Steven Tuck isn't alone. On Monday, the FBI announced that the government is arresting one marijuana user every 41 seconds — more than ever before.
The 771,605 marijuana arrests last year set an all-time record —  and exceeded the 590,258 arrests for all violent crimes combined. And 89% of the marijuana arrests were for simple possession, not sale or manufacture. This is wildly out of sync with the priorities of most Americans.
One of those arrests last year was Jonathan Magbie, a quadriplegic medical marijuana patient who died in the Washington, D.C., city jail while serving a 10-day sentence for marijuana possession. Had Congress not blocked the district's medical marijuana law from taking effect, Jonathan Magbie would almost certainly be alive today.

Don't Light A Match

Does Anyone Else Smell Gasoline?
Why does everything that contains rubber or metal and manufactured in China smell like gasoline? I first noticed it when we received a free flashlight from Petcare RX for an order we had placed with them. The flashlight had both black rubber and internal metal parts that smelled of gasoline. The odor is so strong that even after allowing it to “air” for a week or so, it still smelled so bad that we put it in our storage shed and have not used it. We also noticed the odor on a small tool kit that I had ordered over the Internet through Publishers Clearing House. The steel tools had a greasy feel to them and the strong odor of gasoline. Most recently, I purchased a chair from Staples. The steel legs had such a strong odor of gasoline to them that I had to allow it to “air” for a week before placing it in my office. So, what’s with these “Made in China” products and their gasoline odor? Do they have so much of the carbon based fuel that they are swimming in it over there? I would be interested to know if anyone else has noticed this problem with products they have purchased. If so, send me an email at diffie1 “at” yahoo.com. I do not wish to make my email address a link for fear of getting spammed by people who use email spider programs to collect email addresses from blogs and other Internet sites.

Anything For Power

Congress set to renew Voting Rights Act - Race in America - MSNBC.comHow many of you are buying this? How many of you really believe that the Republican Party cares about African Americans or the poor in this country? Look at New Orleans and the coast of Mississippi. Look at the people who have been harmed by the poor planning and lack of resources. Just look at them. This is what happens when a power hungry, war mongering, oil loving man is President of this country. Please open your eyes, people. For the sake of all the citizens of the United States, open your eyes.

"Players" - That's ALL They Are

Smoot fumes over link to controversial party

The more I here about stuff like this, the happier I am when there are talks of player strikes, discord within the NFL and ratings declines. I don’t know about Mr. Smoot, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of the men (and I use that term loosely) who attended the sex party are married. No honor for their wives – no respect for their children… it’s all so disgustingly hedonistic. These guys need to GROW UP. But who is going to require that they do that? It won’t be the fans who continue to watch the games, buy tickets, and purchase the sponsor’s products. Nor will be the owners of the teams who continue to lavish ridiculous salaries and other perks upon the players. And so the depravity continues and will continue… and we wonder why the children have no respect for “adults.”

FEMA & The Fool

The FEMA Ice Follies Revisited
Agency opts to store millions of pounds for next disaster

FEMA just can’t seem to get it right and the President just doesn’t get it at all. FEMA is trucking ice all over the country in refrigerated trailers waiting for the next disaster because they didn’t get the ice to the right places during Katrina. So, now that they have paid for the ice, they don’t want to just dump it. They are storing it. Of course, storing ice in trucks is much more expensive than reselling or even dumping the ice and buying more when it is needed. That’s what our government does best – finds the most ridiculous and wasteful ways to spend our money.

And G.W. – what’s he doing? Oh, he’s creating photo opportunities by going to Gulf and saying a few nice words and pounding a few nails. It does not matter to me, how many platitudes he offers or how many nails he drives. He can never gain my trust. I pray that the rest of the United States citizenry can see through that smug smirk and blue collar shirt of his. He is as fake as the fur on my mom’s winter coat.

Stop Bush

Outside Inquiry Sought on Prosecutor's Demotion
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/100705A.shtml

Stories like the one referenced above just keep on coming.

And the last President was impeached for what?

George W. Bush makes Clinton look like a kid who cheated on his homework. The current President has used coercion, false information, abuse of power, and other such illegal tactics to put us at war, silence his critics, limit our freedom, increase his personal wealth and power, and on and on…

IMPEACH BUSH NOW

George Will Is STILL An Idiot

VRA, All of It, Forever?
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was the noblest law of the 20th century. Some of its provisions, however, are now weird—and worse. --George Will

George Will is STILL an Idiot
In the above referenced piece by George Will, he makes a couple (only a couple) valid points. But no matter how many 4 and 5 syllable words Mr. Will uses, he still comes out wrong in the end. Mr. Will argues that there are certain parts of the Voting Rights Act, at the very least, that should be removed or changed. He does not even look at the facts pointing to voter fraud by the state of Ohio and other states during the last election. He simply dismisses the evidence with these 3 sentences:

One reason is that prominent Democrats, with their habit of seizing their own party's jugular, present the party as a bad, although practiced, loser. They assert what evidence refutes—"disenfranchising" (John Kerry's word) "a million" (Kerry's number) African-American voters in 2000, and the "suppression" (Howard Dean's word) of African-American votes in Ohio in 2004. Such meretricious laments encourage some African-American leaders to strike familiar sterile poses of victimhood.

“What evidence refutes…” Really, Mr. Will? What evidence are you looking at? Obviously, you have missed some huge pieces, such as first hand accounts by voters turned away from the polls and others who voted at electronic voting machines which changed their votes.

Mr. Will lives in a fantasy land. Until he decides to join us here in the real United States of America, he should not be allowed to continue spewing his opinions backed by unsubstantiated claims in a major news magazine.

Can You Say "Scapegoat"?

Behind the Abu Ghraib photos
In an exclusive interview, Lynndie England talks about her part in those now infamous pictures

This woman has done wrong and has admitted such. However, she is soldier – a soldier who followed orders. The estranged father of her child (with whom she does NOT have a friendly relationship) testified on her behalf at her trial. Did the military jury think that mattered in this case? Apparently not… They found her guilty (which she is appealing) and sentenced her to military prison. What happened to the colonels who were in charge of Abu Ghraib? One received a slap on the wrist – a scolding and an $8000 fine. The other is still being investigated according to the Pentagon. This is all okay with you sleepwalkers, right? Sit there in front of your Fox News and pretend everything you hear is the truth. Believe (as twisted as the story is) that these soldiers just took it upon themselves to abuse the Abu Ghraib prisoners without provocation and without orders or encouragement from the officers in charge. Right, and Eddie Murphy – the comedian/actor – can really understand animals as if they were talking to him.

Suicide or Botched Terrorist Attack?

Blast kills one at University of Oklahoma
Police probe apparent suicide near packed football stadium

Simply a suicide? I don’t think so.
This person was 100 yards from a packed football stadium. The person used explosives, not sleeping pills, nor a gun, nor did they jump from a tall building. The person’s name has not been released. All of these facts point to an attempted terrorist attack that did not happen. Thank God. My guess is that the person was headed toward the stadium when the bomb they were carrying prematurely exploded. Of course, we may never know the truth because the federal government covers up just about everything these days. Why isn’t this bigger news? Why not large headlines splashed across the front of MSNBC’s homepage? Very curious…

If it was an attempted terrorist attack, the implications are immense. Was the person affiliated with a well organized terrorist group or acting on his/her own? Did the person obtain the materials for the bomb from the college, the community or elsewhere? Have more attacks been planned for college and/or professional sports events?

This event might pass as a suicide, but it if more occur over coming weeks, we have a very serious problem on our hands.

Same Suit, Different Head

Bill Frist now facing two investigations
Senate Majority Leader allegedly disobeyed blind trust rules

Oh, aren’t you simply shocked? Who would have thought that the good doctor would have ever done something like this?

Duh…

Sitting President rigs 2 elections… Delay sells votes… Now Frist in an investment scandal…

This is getting old, but it’s apparently all just fine for sleepwalking Americans. They would rather impeach a President for lying about cheating on his wife. That is certainly more of a threat to our democracy, don’t ya think?

No More Feds

Military to Bush: U.S. needs search-rescue plan
Officials tell president national coordination needed for disasters, attacks

Hmmmm…. Really? You don’t say…

What the heck have you been doing with the billions of dollars that you’ve been stealing from us for the past 5 decades or more to fund agencies like FEMA? No, we don’t need national coordination from the federal government. The people need to tell the Feds to back off and create our own plan. The Feds have had more than enough time and money to do the right thing. We’ve seen how that works. No more B.S. from the Feds. It’s time for the citizenry to take matters into our own hands. Let’s get groups like the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, National Guard, local police and fire departments, etc. to form a “think tank” to create a plan that will work for everyone. If the Feds try to get there hands in it, just tell them to go dig a hole and stay there. We don’t them. When we needed there help, they weren’t there. They have sent the message loud and clear. WE CAN NOT DEPEND ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR HELP IN TIMES OF GREAT NEED. Your eyes are open, but are you awake yet, America?

The Wolves of L'Equipe

L'Equipe’s editor is a joke. Saying that the publication would have behaved the same toward a French rider is just ludicrous. Is he saying that NO French rider has EVER used performance enhancing drugs? If that is not what he is saying, then why have there been no accusations of French riders made by his paper. The French sports press needs to grow up. They need to “get over” the fact that an American has defeated cancer and become the most prolific cyclist in the history of the sport. I don’t want Lance to come out of retirement. His children deserve that he keep his promise to them. However, there is a part of me that wishes he would win not just 1 more Tour de France, but 3 more – you know, really wipe it in their faces. Of course, for him it would mean even more voracious feeding frenzies by the wolves of L’Equipe. The decision is Lance’s, but if he asked for my vote…

Let the wolves starve.

A Response From My Father-in-law

I want to share an email message that I received from my father-in-law in response to an article that I sent him from Truthout.org. The article was http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090305Y.shtml.

--Email begins--
It's tough.  One really has to feel for the folks who for whatever reason remained in New Orleans.  The bulk were old, infirm, hospitalized or poor; a few were foolish.  None should be sentenced to what they got.  It's very discouraging when the product doesn't match the promise; better to make no promise at all, whether it be disaster preparedness or preparations for war.  An old college buddy (probably the closest person I have to a brother) expressed the same concerns about this storm.  I've attached his note along with my reply to him below.  It reflects my level of frustration:

"Right on, *friend’s name*!  From my own past experience with disasters, a response of 4 to 5 days is the industry standard...for Russia, for Armenia and for Indonesia.  And throughout the world, even back to the Titanic, how well you fare is directly related to your socio-economic status, not your race.
In the Titanic, for example, the death rate amongst the 3rd class passengers was a multiple of that of the first class passengers.  We haven't changed much, it appears.  It is also clear from previous experience that how a population does during that inevitable 5 day wait is totally dependent on local resources and the ability of people to help themselves and the others around them.

It was also known at all levels of government, years BEFORE the hurricane, in New Orleans there would be about 125,000 people who COULD not evacuate for reasons of infirmity or poverty.  Nothing was in the "plan" for them!
The discouraging thing is that all of the "disaster planning" proved to be a scam...a waste of millions of tax dollars.  We have done no better with planning and ample warning than the third world has done with no resources and no warning.  Our societal priorities are also clear; we focus on those who can best help themselves while turning our backs or giving low priority to those known to be the most vulnerable.

But you're absolutely correct.  The response represents a total failure of government at the local, state and national level!  But, please remember, this failure has been brought to you by the same administration that did the planning for the Iraq invasion.  Furthermore, they were as surprised and helpless to stop looting in Baghdad as they are in New Orleans.  So, how could we have expected more?

Those who voted for this administration should fall down on their knees and pray for forgiveness!  Those who didn't vote at all should rot in Hades, in a long gas line, strapped in an SUV that gets 5 mpg!!

End of lecture #2!”
--Email ends—

My father-in-law is obviously a man of intellect and great conviction. He is a world renowned Pediatric Nephrologist with many accolades bestowed upon him. The title he wears most proudly, however, is “PePa,” the nickname given him by his grandchildren.    

Why?

WHY?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9156612/

Why was this allowed to happen? Why are so many of our people suffering? This is not some 3rd World nation in the throes of civil war. This is the wealthiest nation on earth. We have more billionaires than all other nations combined. Now, we also have a catastrophe. Our people – and they are OUR people – are suffering and dying for NO reason. This disaster is the fault of government. FEMA and other agencies were completely incompetent in their preparations for this storm. They have had decades to prepare for this and have sucked our tax dollars into “projects” that were supposed to protect OUR people when a storm like Katrina came along. Where did those dollars go? Where are OUR National Guard troops when they are needed here at home? They are in Iraq fighting against an unknown enemy for Bush’s oil cronies.

Why? Why do we continue to let this man lead OUR government? Why do we continue to accept his arrogant, nonchalant excuses for not taking care of OUR people? Please stop sleepwalking AMERICA!! Bush HAS TO GO! NOW!! Wake up and smell the stench that he is leaving behind, or soon the rotting flesh you smell might be your own.

t r u t h o u t - US Poverty Rate Rises Increasing Ranks of Poor Whites

More and more proof of the failures of the Rove/Bush/Cheney Whitehouse...

It just keeps on coming. The evidence that "trickle down economics" does not work was provided to us during the Reagan years. So, why did they try it again? hmmm.... I don't know... because could they could? Steal 2 elections - push through your policies - make your cronies richer - leave to bask in the payoffs of your obedience to the corporations. Sounds like a plan.

Columnist George Will is an Idiot - More Profits Before Lives

In discussing oil prices on a Sunday news talk show recently, columnist Mr. George Will made some very stupid arguments about the rising price of gasoline and fuel oil. The same arguments have been made before by the Rethuglicans. However, this time the arguments were from of the right wing's intellectual elite, and it truly irked me. He was using terms like "inflationary dollars" and "real dollars" - you know, the terms you hear when someone wants you to stop complaining about the reaming they are giving you while you fill up their Mercedes with another 30 gallons of gasoline. Well, I have some words for Mr. Will and the rest of the conservative clan who think that it's just fine that gasonline is at an all-time high.

Fact, gasoline prices have doubled in past 10 years while wages for the average American worker have increased less than 20 percent. Those are REAL dollars, George - the dollars paid by working class Americans to feed their families, send their children to college, take care of Mom & Dad, and keep their 3 year old vehicle on the road. The REAL problem as I see it, is that folks like you, Mr. Will, don't know what REAL dollars are because you don't earn them nor spend them. Come sit down to dinner with us, Mr. Will. We'll feed you a meal paid for with Real dollars, prepared in our Real kitchen with our REAL hands. See what it's like to spend an evening with a family that just got slammed with the news that the largest income to the home is going to end in a month, meaning that we will have to either put Mom & Dad in a retirement care facility or stop paying for our oldest daughter's college tuition. These are the REAL choices being faced by REAL people, Mr. Will. We only wish that we had inflationary dollars to play with.

Where Are The Blue Skies?

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A few days ago, I mentioned to my wife that I haven't seen a blue sky this summer. It's been all haze and humidity. Just a fluke in the weather? Possibly, but I don't think so. The past 4 summers have be been notably hotter and certainly more humid. Central Pennsylvania is beginning to feel like a Rain Forest - minus the rain. So, what's up? Are we having a reverse "El Nino" effect? The evidence suggests not. The summers are becoming increasingly hotter and more humid. Record high temperatures are combined with skies that are covered with a grey/white haze that lingers from dawn until dusk. Even the thunderstorms that used to clear away the humidity and be followed by clear skies no longer bring relief. (See the above photo for an idea of what our skies looked like 5 years ago.)

My guess as to the cause of this unbearable heatwave? I think the EPA has been told to lay off polluters - plain and simple. Asthma attacks are increasing at an alarming rate. The need for portable oxygen tanks among the elderly has skyrocketed. Chronic sinus and bronchial problems have also risen dramatically. This is enough evidence for me that something is amiss in the atmosphere, but I want some hard evidence. The only way I know to collect such evidence is to do an air quality study. Normally, I would complain to local officials and attempt to get them to sanction such a study. However, I do not trust any government entity to provide truthful information about most things, especially if the truth would implicate big business or government itself. I am, therefore, looking into the costs of having an air quality study done at my own expense. I really have no idea what it will cost, but I suspect that I will need to convince some friends to help with the expenses. If I am able to have the study done, you can be certain that the results will be posted here. Wish me luck!

CNN Suspends Novak

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http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050805/ap_on_en_tv/tv_cnn_novak

IT'S ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME!

Man Released From Prison on DNA Evidence After 26 Years

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http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=164

Our system of justice is broken. If you do not believe it, check out the Innocence Project's website and see how many people have been wrongly accused, tried and jailed because of ambitious District Attorneys and lazy police officers who want to have an arrest at an easy target's expense.

More Proof of "Profits Before Lives"

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http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8748924/

Here is more evidence that Big Business & Government care nothing for you. Read for yourself what is being handed to Big Business in the form of "Eminent-Domain Powers" so that they can take your property for the purpose of putting down power lines and pipes for oil and gas. Pay close attention to what they will be allowed to put into the air that you and your family breathe and the water that you and your family drink. Get a copy of this "Energy Bill" from the member of Congress representing your district. Unless you are a sheep or someone making huge profits from "energy companies," I think it will disgust you as it does me.

How Long Are We Going To Take The Lies?

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How Long Are We Going To Take The Lies

“We will simply never be able to get the amount of debris shed by the tank down to zero.” Griffin said on the “Today” show Thursday. “We are trying to get it down to a level that cannot damage the orbiter.” quoted from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8736011/

THIS IS BULL. The technology already exists that would make it possible to put a shuttle into orbit and bring it back into the atmosphere without ANY debris being shed from the fuel tanks or other parts of the shuttle. The issue is MONEY. It has ALWAYS BEEN MONEY. MONEY versus LIFE. Which is more important to NASA? The answer is obvious. MONEY. I am literally sickened by the words and behavior coming from the agency. You should be too. Demand a change in the value system that exists within the agency and all of government and big business. Tell them that lives matter more than profits, and that until they get it straight, they no longer have our support.

NASA says sizable piece of foam flew off shuttle - Return to Flight - MSNBC.com

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How stupid is this?

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8720825/

This makes no sense to me. After all the tests that were done following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, we were given undeniable proof that these pieces of insulation could indeed cause serious damage to the shuttle when they tear away from the ship. So, what does NASA do? Does it change the insulation tile design? Does it stop the program until a new design can be created? No, it puts cameras on the ship to see what happens on the next launch. That's it, let's make the next crew guinnea pigs. People mean nothing to government and corporations. We are just "human resources" to be used up like oil and iron ore. I cannot believe that there is not a cry of outrage across the country because of what has been captured on tape.

Birth control patch linked to higher fatality rate - Women's Health - MSNBC.com

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This is sad. But more than sad, this woman's death should not have happened. According to the article, both Ortho McNeil (the maker of the birth control patch used by the woman) and the FDA knew of problems related to using the patch. Despite the problems, the FDA approved the sale of the patch. What are the problems? Nothing minor - women using the patch have a 3 times greater risk of blod clots and stroke than those using birth control pills. It appears to me that our goverment is sending a message through its actions. This message is becoming clearer everyday. Your life is not worth as much as the profit that can be made.

Is it not time for us to stand up and tell this government, just as in the 1976 movie, "Network," "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore"? I think it is.

Bush on Rove's leash

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Can You Say, "Puppet"?

Bush Won't Comment on Rove During Probe - Yahoo! News

Bush is now dragging his heals after promising to remove the person responsible for the Valerie Plame outing. Are we surprised? Like his father, he says whatever is politically correct at the time. Rove has given reporters his permission for them to name him as the source of their stories, but apparently that means nothing to Bush. The President is looking more and more like a puppet than a head of state.

The War On Terror Creates Terrorists

Read about how Bush's war in Iraq has created a "training ground" for new young idealistic terrorists. Republicans talk about "family values." What about the value of families? Obviously, this war is destroying families on both sides. That seems to matter very little to the Bushite hawks who can only see dollar signs.

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Cruise Handles A Practical Joke With Great Self Control

In the film clip (follow above link), Tom Cruise is being interviewed by a man who then squirts him in the face with water. Instead of pushing or hitting the man, Cruise told the man not to run away and asked him if he enjoyed doing mean things to people. By keeping the man with him for another minute and confronting him, he made the fake reporter look like a fool. I am very impressed with Mr. Cruise's handling of the situation and wish more people would maintain their dignity and self-control in such situations.

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Another Impeachment?

Will we have yet another series of impeachment hearings? From what I have read on the "Downing Street Memos," if there ever was a case for impeachment proceedings, the memos provide more than enough evidence to get them started. Do any Republicans in power have the courage and principles to move forward with such hearings? That remains to be seen.

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The Fall of Professional Sports

FOXSports.com - MLB- Pine tar feud still simmering

I don't know what most other folks think, but I believe that professional sports are in a general decline. When hockey cannot survive without fights and baseball cannot thrive without pine tar, the games do not deserve our attention. Do we need new policing agencies to check all equipment and run drug tests before each and every game? Should we have the little boys hand over their gloves before they go on the field, so "daddy" can make sure they aren't doing anything naughty. It has become ludicrous to assume that men being paid MILLIONS of dollars a year will play by the rules. The money is such a "turn off" for me that I have not watched professional baseball nor football in years. With all the steroids, mult-million dollar contracts, unprofessional behavior on the field, etc., I would rather just watch a good movie. I've become so cynical as to think that the Boston Red Sox winning the Series again was another "setup," - just an attempt to bring back baseball's "Glory Days." I pray that's not true, but it's difficult for me to believe in the magic of it all when corporations control state legislatures and city councils so they can build huge stadiums at taxpayer expense.

Perhaps the decline in popularity of professional sports will be good for this country. We might begin to participate in other activities that are more beneficial to our own well being. Instead of purchasing tickets to professional sports events, maybe we will get ourselves a membership at the local gym, buy a bicycle, or take up some other sport. One can always hope.

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Easy check fraud technique draws scrutiny - Consumer Security - MSNBC.com

Easy check fraud technique draws scrutiny - Consumer Security - MSNBC.com

THE BANKS AND QCHEX DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR SECURITY

The article that is linked above is a required read for anyone who has a checking account. If you have a checking account, you could already be a victim of check fraud, especially if you do not judiciously follow your account activity. All that anyone needs in order remove money from your checking account is your bank's routing number and your account number (located at the bottom of every check). Don't believe me? Read the article. This is a fraud of epidemic proportions. From the article:

"the attorneys general letter to the Fed said one community bank surveyed demand drafts and found 73 percent to be fraudulent"

I urge everyone to thoroughly examine their bank statements and contact your bank immediately if there is anything questionable.

PGP Desktop 9.0

PGP Support Forums

I have long been a user of PGP and a happy customer for years. However, I am very dissatisfied with PGP Desktop 9.0. This product is sub-standard and unfit for distribution but was rushed to market with MANY complaints unresolved. If you wish to see for yourself, click the link to the support forum and read some of the issues that have been addressed there. PGP Corp seems to have no intention to resolve any of these issues in a timely manner. There are a few caring technicians from the company who have come on the forums and attempted to help. However, the company management has given no assurance nor apologies for the problems that continue to plague the program. One begins to wonder if PGP Corp is taking its customer service lessons from Microsoft. This is disheartening. Until the company makes corrections to this software, I recommend that you stick with version 8.1 of PGP desktop. Any review that comes out in support of PGP Desktop 9.0 before these corrections are made is simply not giving you the whole truth. BUYER BEWARE!

t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | Heroes

t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | Heroes

In this post, I would simply like to recognize Mr. Pitt for his dedication to the truth and for his humility in recognizing so many others who are fighting the good fight to bring the truth to light. In his online publication, "truthout," Mr. Pitt does whatever necessary to get to the truth, and he does so with bold courage. Thank you, William Rivers Pitt.