The Lengths They Go - Astonishing

Girl's story of dad was a hoax, paper says
Just despicable!

CARBONDALE, Ill. - For two years, Carbondale residents have been riveted by the writing of a little girl imploring her father in Iraq: 'Don't die, OK?'
Only now are they learning there was never any danger of that.
The Daily Egyptian, Southern Illinois University's student-run newspaper, today will admit to its readers that the saga - of a little girl's published letters to her father serving in Iraq - was apparently an elaborate hoax perpetrated by a woman who claimed to be the girl's aunt.
In fact, the newspaper will report today, the man identified as the girl's father was never in Iraq, and it was the woman who apparently wrote the letters and regular columns that were published under the little girl's name - and even impersonated the girl in telephone interviews.

(Hat tip Michelle Malkin)

Nimrods Protest War

Anti-War Protests Target Wounded at Army Hospital
Now the "anti-war" movement has escalated from protested using the dead to using the wounded. Like I have said before -- the protest and protesters are the only similarity between Iraq and Vietnam. Take a look at these wonderful examples of humanity in this video. My only question -- where will these nimrods go when Walter Read closes?

Washington (CNSNews.com) - The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the current home of hundreds of wounded veterans from the war in Iraq, has been the target of weekly anti-war demonstrations since March. The protesters hold signs that read 'Maimed for Lies' and 'Enlist here and die for Halliburton.'

The anti-war demonstrators, who obtain their protest permits from the Washington, D.C., police department, position themselves directly in front of the main entrance to the Army Medical Center, which is located in northwest D.C., about five miles from the White House.

Whoops -- The Little Show may Have Backfired

After weeks of being used by anti-war activist Cindy has guest as Bush supporters rally in Crawford. This little show maybe backfiring on the "anti" crowd, but all I can say is both sides of this demonstration have more time then I do.

CRAWFORD - President Bush's supporters poured into Crawford Saturday by the thousands, for the first time outnumbering war protesters led by Cindy Sheehan, who began a vigil here three weeks ago, demanding a personal meeting with the vacationing president to talk about her son's death in Iraq.

Scenes From Crawford

Cindy is not the only voice in Crawford, Texas -- Take a Look!

Walter Reed -- Done?

Still busy with the new job -- at least till next week when I intend to start some regular posting. I had to post something about Walter Reed Medical Center Closing -- I mean where are the advocates of preserving history? How important has Walter Reed been in medical history? Nope if only for the shear "history factor" this is a bad decision, IMO.

WASHINGTON - Siding with the Pentagon, the base-closing commission voted Thursday to shut down the Army's historic Walter Reed hospital and move about 20,000 defense workers miles away from their offices just outside the nation's capital.

Lite Blogging

I will not be blogging regularly for awhile. I was offered and have begun a new job requiring me to concentrate many hours daily for awhile. When I get my legs under me on this new endeavor I will begin regular blogging again... Thanks for your patients.

Do Chemicals Count as WMD(s)?

Since an Iraqi chemical stash was uncovered, I have a few questions. Do chemicals count as WMD(s)? When did these make it into Iraq? Were these chemicals there before our invasion, and if yes and chemicals do count as WMD(s), does this mean WMD(s) did indeed exist? If they did exist does this revelation and the "Able Danger" revelation render the 9/11 Commission a large waste of time? Sure there is some facetiousness there but it is food for thought.

BAGHDAD, Aug. 13 -- U.S. troops raiding a warehouse in the northern city of Mosul uncovered a suspected chemical weapons factory containing 1,500 gallons of chemicals believed destined for attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces and civilians, military officials said Saturday.
Monday's early morning raid found 11 precursor agents, 'some of them quite dangerous by themselves,' a military spokesman, Lt. Col. Steven A. Boylan, said in Baghdad.

Social Security 70 Today

Happy 70th Birthday, Social Security
Being as today is the seventieth year for social security maybe we can renew the quest to fix it... Notice the upper right corner of this website and the "Nodometer"...

Seventy years ago today, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the law that created the Social Security system, but this year's great debate over the program's future has all but left behind President Bush's goal of maintaining the system's solvency through the baby boom's retirement.

and The Games Continue

U.S.-S.Korea war games prelude to war: N.Korea army
Like the old "marching cadence" we used to sing -- "here we go again same old ....... again". Half a century and still playing.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's military said on Saturday war games by South Korea and United States were a prelude to a U.S. military attack and a tactic to compel it to accept U.S. terms in six-party talks on its nuclear program.

Not Cool!

Ex-Klansman out on bond in civil rights case
This is not cool - the man was found guilty and just as I would say with any other "guilty" individual, he should be in prison until the appeal. Age gives him no special privileges.

Mississippi Judge Marcus Gordon granted Killen's release on $600,000 bond. A Neshoba County Sheriff's official said Killen was released after relatives and friends posted the bond.

New York Times Finally Reports!

On the Air America scandal... I am shocked.
Bronx Boys Club's Finances Investigated - New York Times

Heads Rolling at Air America

With more heads rolling at Air America, I guess we are supposed to still believe -- "there was nothing to the scandal", RIGHT!

Sources told the New York Post that acting executive director Lorraine Corva will be leaving her job Aug. 26, and that assistant executive director Jeff Aulenback also quit, effective immediately.

Previous post - here, here, here, and here.

Able Danger - Update

Well now, Thursday, August 11, 2005; 1:01 PM, the Washington Post has a story about this. The "Post" is reporting on the discrepancy of a Tuesday statement that 9/11 Commission didn't know but now on Thursday they did know... Like I said earlier this will be interesting.

Also, about 11:45am I heard a radio report on this story; however, it was a Fox Radio feed. Can it be ignored any longer? What did Sandy Berger remove?

Now shortly after the Washington Post story was release we have a USA Today releasing one... Amazing how that works!

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Sept. 11 commission knew military intelligence officials had identified lead hijacker Mohamed Atta as a member of al-Qaeda who might be part of U.S.-based terror cell more than a year before the terror attacks but decided not to include that in its final report, a spokesman acknowledged Thursday.
[...]
a classified military intelligence unit called "Able Danger" identified Atta and three other hijackers in 1999 as potential members of a terrorist cell in Brooklyn, N.Y. Weldon said Pentagon lawyers rejected the unit's recommendation that the information be turned over to the FBI in 2000.

Hmm, identified in 1999 and rejected the recommendation to turn information over to FBI in 2000 -- who was in charge then? Why was this over looked during the 9/11 commission? What did Sandy Berger remove?

Able Danger - Developing

Well if you do a Google News Search you want find no MSM outlets reporting on this... Wonder why?

Mr Weldon told Congress:

"Mr. Speaker, I rise because information has come to my attention over the past several months that is very disturbing. I have learned that, in fact, one of our Federal agencies had, in fact, identified the major New York cell of Mohamed Atta prior to 9/11; and I have learned, Mr. Speaker, that in September of [b]2000[/b], that Federal agency actually was prepared to bring the FBI in and prepared to work with the FBI to take down the cell that Mohamed Atta was involved in in New York City, along with two of the other terrorists.

"I have also learned, Mr. Speaker, that when that recommendation was discussed within that Federal agency, the lawyers in the administration at that time said, you cannot pursue contact with the FBI against that cell. Mohamed Atta is in the U.S. on a green card, and we are fearful of the fallout from the Waco incident. So we did not allow that Federal agency to proceed. (Read more here.)

Should be interesting to see how this plays out. It may take awhile before the big media outlets decide to start reporting -- but it will be interesting.

Let us not forget the Sandy Berger deal!

Welcome Home

Remains of 12 Vietnam War MIA's Identified
Welcome home and "rest in peace".

WASHINGTON - When Army Sgt. Glenn E. Miller was listed as missing in action after a fierce gun battle in Vietnam in May 1968, his girlfriend figured he had been killed - even though there was never any proof. Thirty-seven years later, the remains of Miller, a Green Beret, and the 11 Marines who died alongside him have been identified and returned to the United States.

Clicking for Cathy

Chris Muir over at Day by Day has something to ask you -- check out the site and Click4Cathy!

Home Safe!

Discovery Lands Safely in California
Shuttle home safely - thank God!

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Discovery and its crew of seven glided safely back to Earth on Tuesday, ending a riveting, at times agonizing, 14-day test of space shuttle safety that was shadowed by the ghosts of Columbia.

Don't Say the Army Doesn't Punish Their Own

Army dumps general for personal misconduct
This is an extreme action and should put to rest all the liberal BS about the military's unwillingness to hold high-ranking officers accountable-- can be held much more accountable then being fired and possibly charged.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The four-star general who headed the U.S. Army's training program has been fired after an investigation into sexual misconduct, officials said on Tuesday.
In a rare punishment of a four-star officer -- the highest rank in the military -- Gen. Kevin Byrnes was fired as commanding general of the Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe in Virginia, the Army said in a statement.
Army officials did not rule out the possibility of criminal charges or additional administration discipline.
'The investigation upon which this relief is based is undergoing further review to determine the appropriate final disposition of this matter,' the Army said.

Google IM?

Could Google buying Meetroduction indicated a giant leap toward a "Google Instant Messenger"? Will Google integrate the features with Google Hello? I believe if they enter the IM realm it will only improve instant messengers... Still waiting for Google Calendar and a Google Gmail option on the Google Toolbar (there is a plug-in for Firefrox no IE).

Google is expected to announce the acquisition of Meetroduction later this week, a source close to the transaction told internetnews.com.
Chicago-based Meetroduction launched the first version of Meetro, 'location-aware social networking software,' on Aug. 4. The idea of Meetro is to find people to hang out with in the physical world.
Google (Quote, Chart) has been rumored to be developing instant messaging capabilities, along with its moves into creating a more portal-like experience via My Google, the personalized start page Google introduced in May. A Google spokesman declined to comment for this story.

Google Makes 'Google News' Available in Feeds

Google now provides feeds to Google News -- this includes personalized news search. Got to love it!