News -- December 10, 2005

Bush on the Constitution: 'It's just a goddamned piece of paper' - "GOP leaders told Bush that his hardcore push to renew the more onerous provisions of the act could further alienate conservatives still mad at the President from his botched attempt to nominate White House Counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. “I don’t give a goddamn,” Bush retorted. “I’m the President and the Commander-in-Chief. Do it my way.” “Mr. President,” one aide in the meeting said. “There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution.” “Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” Bush screamed back. “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!” I’ve talked to three people present for the meeting that day and they all confirm that the President of the United States called the Constitution “a goddamned piece of paper.” And, to the Bush Administration, the Constitution of the United States is little more than toilet paper stained from all the shit that this group of power-mad despots have dumped on the freedoms that “goddamned piece of paper” used to guarantee."
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7779.shtml

Patriot Act Use Against US Citizens Extended - "House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement Thursday to extend the USA Patriot Act, before it expires at the end of the month."
http://infowars.net/articles/december2005/091205Patriot_act.htm

EYEBALLING IRAQ KILL AND MAIM - " This presents about 4,000 photographs showing the Iraq War killing and maiming, most from the Associated Press's archive and others from sources listed. The photographs were obtained from a library which provides its members free online access to the AP archives along with many other electronic collections. The library logs online accesses to its collections and is subject to secret, non-disclosible demands for access logs from US authorities." -- These are the pictures that should be on the nightly news. No, they are not just combat pics. They also include protest pictures.
http://iraq-kill-maim.org/

Un-American & inefficient - "As shocking evidence surfaces that the Central Intelligence Agency may be using torture to gather anti-terrorism information, the Bush administration has responded with a wave of ducking, dodging and double-talk. Every evasion makes it more clear that Team Bush is hell-bent on preserving torture as an option if they think we, the public, will let them get away with it."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/col/story/373099p-317210c.html

The Truth Comes Out... - "The Bush administration based a crucial prewar assertion about ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda on detailed statements made by a prisoner while in Egyptian custody who later said he had fabricated them to escape harsh treatment, according to current and former government officials."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2005/12/08/the-truth-comes-out_n_11938.html

2K Why?
http://www.freewayblogger.com/2k_why.htm

U.S. backs down in Padilla debacle - "The U.S. government, in an unusual retreat, urged a federal appeals court on Friday to set aside its ruling that allowed the United States to hold an American citizen as an enemy combatant without being charged."
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7781.shtml

Live Tracking of Mobile Phones Prompts Court Fights on Privacy - "Most Americans carry cellphones, but many may not know that government agencies can track their movements through the signals emanating from the handset. In recent years, law enforcement officials have turned to cellular technology as a tool for easily and secretly monitoring the movements of suspects as they occur. But this kind of surveillance - which investigators have been able to conduct with easily obtained court orders - has now come under tougher legal scrutiny."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/10/technology/10phone.html?ei=5065&en=a2a07f37e5bcbe9e&ex=1134795600&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

Many refuse to pay 'war tax' on phone bill - "Sacks is one of thousands of Americans believed to be refusing to pay the federal taxes attached to their monthly phone bills -- money that helps fund military operations overseas.
Many are taking the step as a protest against the war in Iraq. And in many cases, the phone companies are helping them do it."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/251575_wartax10.html

Now We Should Go To Jail For Sharing Our Favourite Song LYRICS - "After cracking down on MP3 file sharing, the music industry is to go to war against websites offering unlicensed song tabs and lyrics. The Music Publishers' Association (MPA), which represents US sheet music companies, says all such sites are illegal and will begin the crackdown in 2006. MPA president Lauren Keiser said that not only should sites carrying song tabs and lyrics be shut down but also suggested authorities should "throw in some jail time, I think we'll be a little more effective"." -- Aren't there more important criminals in the world?
http://infowars.net/articles/december2005/091205lyrics.htm

Breakthrough Chip Delivers Better Digital Pictures For Less Power - "The next advance in cameras is becoming a reality at the University of Rochester. A pair of newly patented technologies may soon enable power-hungry imaging chips to use just a fraction of the energy used today and capture better images to boot—all while enabling cameras to shrink to the size of a shirt button and run for years on a single battery."
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/chip-tech-05zp.html

Paper-thin, foldable battery to attach to clothes - "Japan's NEC has developed a thin, foldable battery to be used in cards or clothes, leading to new possibilities such as people walking through ticket gates with fare passes in their pockets."
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/09/051209151443.325ffy2y.html

Earth's Magnetic Pole Drifting Quickly - "Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away from North America and toward Siberia at such a clip that Alaska might lose its spectacular Northern Lights in the next 50 years, scientists said Thursday."
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/12/09/D8ED22880.html




Quote of the Day
"In a society traveling at the speed of light, yet going nowhere, where are we?"
~ Craige McMillan