NIGHT CHICKEN

Hurry hurry pass stimulus, cap and trade and health care reform - with mere hours to consider. More troops for your own general to prosecute your own new strategy in Afghanistan? We need to think about this. V-e-r-y slowly.

On March 27, 2009, President Obama announced his own new comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan:

Today, I'm announcing a comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.   And this marks the conclusion of a careful policy review, led by Bruce, that I ordered as soon as I took office.  My administration has heard from our military commanders, as well as our diplomats.  We've consulted with the Afghan and Pakistani governments, with our partners and our NATO allies, and with other donors and international organizations.  We've also worked closely with members of Congress here at home. And now I’d like to speak clearly and candidly to the American people.

...

For three years, our commanders have been clear about the resources they need for training.  And those resources have been denied because of the war in Iraq.  Now, that will change. 

link to speech

President Obama installed a new commander of his own choosing, General Stanley McChrystal, who on September 25, 2009, delivered to the Chairman Joint Chief's of Staff a request for 40,000 additional troops.  That was two months ago.

The British Defense Secretary is now openly criticising President Obama's delay.

Telegraph.co.uk

November 25, 2009

Bob Ainsworth Criticises Barack Obama over Afghanistan

Mr Ainsworth took the unprecedented step of publicly criticising the US President and his delays in sending more troops to bolster the mission against the Taliban.

A “period of hiatus” in Washington - and a lack of clear direction - had made it harder for ministers to persuade the British public to go on backing the Afghan mission in the face of a rising death toll, he said.

Senior British Government sources have become increasingly frustrated with Mr Obama’s “dithering” on Afghanistan, the Daily Telegraph disclosed earlier this month, with several former British defence chiefs echoing the concerns.

But Mr Ainsworth is the first Government minister to express in public what amounts to personal criticism of the US president’s leadership over the conflict which has so far cost 235 British lives.

link to story

I guess I won't be hearing any more about that poor census worker having been killed by right wing, intolerant, Obama hating zealots

FoxNews.com

November 24, 2009

 

 

Investigators:  Kentucky Census Worker Killed Himself

A Kentucky census worker found hanging from a tree with the word "fed" written on his chest killed himself and staged his death to look like a murder, authorities said Tuesday.

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A man who discovered the body in the Daniel Boone National Forest said the 51-year-old was bound with duct tape, gagged and had an identification badge taped to his neck.

Police told a news conference Tuesday that Sparkman was naked except for socks and had his glasses taped to his face "so he could see what he was doing."

Kentucky State Police Capt. Lisa Rudzinski said the investigation revealed that the letters "fed" scrawled on his chest in black pen had been written from the bottom up and Sparkman's DNA was the only forensic evidence found at the scene.

He was touching the ground, and to survive "all Mr. Sparkman had to do at any time was stand up," she said.

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Authorities say Sparkman acted alone in manipulating the scene to conceal the suicide.

"Our investigation, based on evidence and witness testimony, has concluded that Mr. Sparkman died during an intentional, self-inflicted act that was staged to appear as a homicide," Rudzinski said.

link to story

New global warming shock ad features polar bears falling to their deaths

Plane Stupid's cinema ad.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's a double entendre there.

From their website:

We have a problem. We're flying too much, and it's changing the earth's climate. Aviation is the fastest growing cause of climate change. But instead of doing anything about it, the Government is planning more flights and larger airports. Like you, we're worried about climate change.
Like you, we don't think the Government can be trusted to do what needs to be done.
It's OK though: we've got a plan.

Homeowner kills burglar who threatened him

WFTV.COM

November 19, 2009

Homeowner Kills Suspected Burglar On Property

SORRENTO, Fla. -- A Lake County homeowner caught a burglar breaking into his trailer so he shot and killed the crook. Eyewitness News learned the homeowner won't face any charges.

...

 

The homeowner was protecting more than just his home, officers say, he was protecting himself.

 

The homeowner knew that somebody had broken into his trailer because an alarm that he had installed went off.

At around 3:30am Thursday, three gunshots blasted in the normally quiet community.

"He felt he was threatened. Didn't know how many other people were around. He was defending himself. He was scared for his life," neighbor Ron Schroeder said.

Schroeder is a good friend of Shane Biel. Lake County sheriff's detectives say Biel shot and killed a burglar, 23-year-old Brett Lee Canada, who used bolt cutters to break into his property.

“Detectives have recently arrested him in the area for similar type crimes," Sergeant John Herrell said.

Back in August Canada was arrested for stealing lawn-mowing equipment and that's what deputies say he was after this time. Biel has a trailer full of lawn equipment for his business.

The homeowner told investigators that Canada lunged at him so he opened fire.

Detectives say the story checks out and under a Florida law called the Castle Doctrine, a person can defend themselves and their family in their home.

link to story

No one saw this coming

Associated Press

November 22, 2009

Lawyer: 9/11 defendants want platform for views

NEW YORK (AP) - The five men facing trial in the Sept. 11 attacks will plead not guilty so that they can air their criticisms of U.S. foreign policy, the lawyer for one of the defendants said Sunday.

Scott Fenstermaker, the lawyer for accused terrorist Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, said the men would not deny their role in the 2001 attacks but "would explain what happened and why they did it."

The U.S. Justice Department announced earlier this month that Ali and four other men accused of murdering nearly 3,000 people in the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. will face a civilian federal trial just blocks from the site of the destroyed World Trade Center.

Ali, also known as Ammar al-Baluchi, is a nephew of professed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Mohammed, Ali and the others will explain "their assessment of American foreign policy," Fenstermaker said.

"Their assessment is negative," he said.

...

Last week, the Senate JudicLiary Committee questioned Holder for hours about his decision to send the five 9/11 suspects to New York for trial.

Critics of Holder's decision - mostly Republicans - argued the trial will give Mohammed and his co-defendants a world stage to spout hateful rhetoric. Holder said such concerns are misplaced, and any pronouncements by the suspects would only make them look worse.

link to story

Health Care Monstrosity Moves Forward In Senate

Look how the first paragraph in the below AP story characterizes the Democrat and Republican sides in this party line dispute:

"Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle"

"Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama"

Like the Republican opposition was really all about inflicting damage on President Obama.  Then in the next paragraph:

The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.

They left off the part about how it is also designed to drive out private health insurance, thus resulting in a costly, inefficient single payer government run system.

Associated Press

November 21, 2009

Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle

WASHINGTON – Invoking the name of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare.

The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.

link to story

Bizarre burglar held at gunpoint by homeowner

Denver Post

November 16, 2009

Golden burglar makes himself at home in victim's shorts

A homeowner in Golden held a burglary suspect in stolen boxer shorts at gunpoint last week, police said today.

The homeowner, who was not named by police, said he came home at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9 and found Timothy P. Gonzales, 24, of Golden in his home wearing only the homeowner's underwear.

The homeowner said when he arrived at his house in the 1200 block of Mesa Court he found a white Lexus parked in his garage and items in his home that were out of place.

He fetched his pistol from a bedroom and called out, police said. Gonzales answered, he told police. The man confronted Gonzales and ordered him to leave the house.

Gonzales allegedly argued that the pistol was not real and "moved aggressively" toward the homeowner, who fired a warning shot, police said. When police arrived the homeowner was still holding Gonzales at gunpoint.

Police said investigators think Gonzales had been in the home most of the day. He showered, did laundry and put food he bought in the refrigerator, police said in a statement.

The home is for sale, and Gonzales pretended to be the home owner when two real estate agents brought by clients who wanted to look at the home, police said.

Police also said they found materials used to make methamphetamine on a work bench in the garage.

Gonzales remains in the Jefferson County Detention Center under $50,000 bond. The charges against him include burglary, menacing, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

Public records show Gonzales has been arrested several times before on drug, burglary, domestic violence and other charges.

link to story

Armed robber killed by victim with handgun

WALB 10 News

November 16, 2009

Armed robbery leads to shoot out, suspect killed

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Crime scene investigators rolled into the 1500 block of Cromartie Beach Road Tuesday night to piece together a deadly botched robbery.

Police say around 11:30 p.m. two armed robbers held up three men and woman as they got out of a car. But it wasn't just the robbers who were armed, so was one of the victims.

"We do know that the victims were robbed at gunpoint and at some point there was gunfire exchanged," said Phyllis Banks-Whitley, Albany Police media manager.

A shootout began when one of the three male robbery victims pulled his own gun and began firing at the suspects. One of the armed robbers took off running while the other returned fire. But it was the suspect who found himself on the receiving end of a bullet. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.

Despite a barrage a of gunfire, none of the victims were struck. They were taken in for questioning at the Law Enforcement Center downtown.

"These people were coming home when they were approached by these suspects who were armed and demanded money. They were able to get a couple of items from them," said Banks-Whitley.

link to story

Home invader killed by homeowner

WCTV.TV

Novenber 11, 2009

Update on Robbery Death on Hayward Drive

A suspect in a home invasion is shot and killed by one of the victims inside. Now Tallahassee police are on the lookout for the robber's partner.

At around 6:45 on Tuesday evening, two men entered a home on Hayward Drive, and one escaped while the other was shot dead.

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Officers say at around 6:45, two men attempted to rob this home, but someone inside shot one of the suspects, 31-year-old Robert Buck.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement listed Buck as a sexual predator, and the Department of Corrections says Buck just served around 10 years in prison for sexual battery and home invasion robbery.

link to story

E-mail system of leading climate research unit is hacked and sensitive e-mails are published -- Evidence of fixing the data to a desired outcome?

I have read some of the e-mails that have been published and they certainly appear to raise questions about whether science is following the data or manipulating data to support a desired outcome.  Hopefully we will see some interesting e-mails with analysis and commentary by honest, disinterested climate scientists.

BBC News

November 20, 2009

Hackers target leading climate research unit 

The e-mail system of one of the world's leading climate research units has been breached by hackers.

E-mails reportedly from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU), including personal exchanges, appeared on the internet on Thursday.

A university spokesman confirmed the email system had been hacked and that information was taken and published without permission.

link to story