Tuesday, January 31, 2006

and the old bush hypocrite...


Bush to Say 'America Is Addicted to Oil' in Speech

well then, his administration can start by dismantling the absurd tax breaks given to the impossibly heavy and fuel-inefficient hummer h2, which allow a buyer greater tax incentives than the impressively fuel-efficient toyota prius...

it's about as convincing as the current full-page ads run by the gas and oil industry....

Monday, January 30, 2006

the new ford hypocrite.


just seen a new ford ad, extolling 'innovation'

fron ford's press release:

"If you look at the Ford Motor Company, innovation has driven everything we’ve done. We’re known for innovation going all the way back to my great grandfather starting with the Model T and the assembly line.

And what we’ve done is re-committed ourselves to American innovation, dramatically ramping up our commitment to hybrids. We were the first with the hybrid SUV. People like hybrids because they like the technology, and it’s one that doesn’t require them to do anything differently than they normally would when they drive a vehicle.

Starting next year, we’ll have about the same number of vehicles that will be ethanol capable. You can run them either on gasoline, ethanol or other bio fuels, getting this country less dependent upon foreign oil.

All of Ford Motor Company is dedicated to safety and we’re using the best minds from Volvo and elsewhere in the company to dedicate ourselves to safety innovation.

It’s a commitment to the technology. It’s a commitment to our own engineers that this is the direction that we’re taking and that we’re not going to back off. Innovation will be the compass that guides this company going forward."

that's great, except for the past nfl season, and featured as a sponsor on fox, all i've seen every football sunday are ads for the f150 truck. not ONE mention of a hybrid.....how strange.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

flat eric - paste this link into your browser








www.flateric.uklinux.net/mov/flatericandthequeen.mov

i'm not making this up

















apparently, to run for office in d.c. it helps if your last name is the name of a fruit or a disgraced f.e.m.a official.

gotta change that name, dude














good job he's not running for office in new orleans...

number 6


morris marina

americans are very lucky that they have never been in one of these. sadly, i have.

what is it?
morris minor parts bin special that replaced the oxford., at a reputed cost of 21 m sterling. car's september 1974 cover star. oh dear.

what's wrong with it?
shanty town build quality and vague steering ensured it had the desirability of an unflushed wc.

what you said:
'the only rental car i ever returned because i wasn't confident that i could convince the rear wheels to follow the front wheels- brussels

a corker!

an absolutely beautiful day, here in d.c. decidedly not very january-like.

Friday, January 27, 2006

bottom ten countdown.

the 10 worst cars ever

as voted by readers of 'car' magazine



number 10 - nissan sunny coupe

what is it? origami-styled twin-cam coupe based on epically bland (but very reliable) '86-91 sunny.

what's wrong with it? origami-styled twin-cam coupe based on epically bland (but very reliable) '86-91 sunny. oh, and it doesn't handle.

what you said
'unfortunately as it never broke down, some exist. who said japanese build quality was a good thing?'- london

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

what a complete suprise...White House Declines to Provide Storm Papers



yes. it's old 'heck of a job' michael brown.

quite an impressive bunch.

and as useful as a chocolate teapot.
remember this scene? this is when bushy meets michael "heck of a good job" brown. if there was ever a need for an independent commission, then the disgrace that unfolded day by day in the aftermath of katrina, is it. i watched in disbelief at the country's commander in chief's first visit

in case bushy has trouble remembering, here's the katrina timeline:

KATRINA TIMELINE

Friday, August 26

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA (Office of the Governor)

GULF COAST STATES REQUEST TROOP ASSISTANCE FROM PENTAGON: At a 9/1 press conference, Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, commander, Joint Task Force Katrina, said that the Gulf States began the process of requesting additional forces on Friday, 8/26. (DOD)

Saturday, August 27

GOV. HALEY BARBOUR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN MISSISSIPPI (Office of the Governor)

5AM CDT — KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE (CNN)

GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: “I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster.” (Office of the Governor)

FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARED, DHS AND FEMA GIVEN FULL AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO KATRINA: “Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.” (White House)

Sunday, August 28

2AM CDT – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE (CNN)

7AM CDT – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE (CNN)

MORNING — LOUISIANA NEWSPAPER SIGNALS LEVEES MAY GIVE: “Forecasters Fear Levees Won’t Hold Katrina”: “Forecasters feared Sunday afternoon that storm driven waters will lap over the New Orleans levees when monster Hurricane Katrina pushes past the Crescent City tomorrow.” (Lafayette Daily Advertiser)

9:30 AM CDT — MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES FIRST EVER MANDATORY EVACUATION OF NEW ORLEANS: “We’re facing the storm most of us have feared,” said Nagin. “This is going to be an unprecedented event.” (Times Picayune)

AFTERNOON — BUSH, BROWN, CHERTOFF WARNED OF LEVEE FAILURE BY NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER DIRECTOR: Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center: “‘We were briefing them way before landfall. … It’s not like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could be topped.’”; (Times Picayune; St. Petersburg Times)

4PM CDT – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SPECIAL HURRICANE WARNING: In the event of a category 4 or 5 hit, “Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. … At least one-half of well-constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, leaving those homes severely damaged or destroyed. … Power outages will last for weeks. … Water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards.” (National Weather Service)

LATE PM – REPORTS OF WATER TOPPLING OVER LEVEE: “Waves crashed atop the exercise path on the Lake Pontchartrain levee in Kenner early Monday as Katrina churned closer.” (Times Picayune)

APPROXIMATELY 30,000 EVACUEES GATHER AT SUPERDOME WITH ROUGHLY 36 HOURS WORTH OF FOOD (Times Picayune)

LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD REQUESTS 700 BUSES FROM FEMA FOR EVACUATIONS: FEMA sends only 100 buses. (Boston Globe)

Monday, August 29

7AM CDT – KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE (CNN)

8AM CDT – MAYOR NAGIN REPORTS THAT WATER IS FLOWING OVER LEVEE: “I’ve gotten reports this morning that there is already water coming over some of the levee systems. In the lower ninth ward, we’ve had one of our pumping stations to stop operating, so we will have significant flooding, it is just a matter of how much.” [NBC’s “Today Show”]

MORNING — BUSH CALLS SECRETARY CHERTOFF TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION: “I spoke to Mike Chertoff today — he’s the head of the Department of Homeland Security. I knew people would want me to discuss this issue [immigration], so we got us an airplane on — a telephone on Air Force One, so I called him. I said, are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are.” (White House)

MORNING – BUSH SHARES BIRTHDAY CAKE PHOTO-OP WITH SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (White House)

11AM CDT — MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY REQUESTS THAT DHS DISPATCH 1,000 EMPLOYEES TO REGION, GIVES THEM TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE: “Brown’s memo to Chertoff described Katrina as ‘this near catastrophic event’ but otherwise lacked any urgent language. The memo politely ended, ‘Thank you for your consideration in helping us to meet our responsibilities.’” (AP)

LATE MORNING – LEVEE BREACHED: “A large section of the vital 17th Street Canal levee, where it connects to the brand new ‘hurricane proof’ Old Hammond Highway bridge, gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrina’s fiercest winds were well north.” (Times Picayune)

11AM CDT — BUSH VISITS ARIZONA RESORT TO PROMOTE MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: “This new bill I signed says, if you’re a senior and you like the way things are today, you’re in good shape, don’t change. But, by the way, there’s a lot of different options for you. And we’re here to talk about what that means to our seniors.” (White House)

4:30PM CDT — BUSH TRAVELS TO CALIFORNIA SENIOR CENTER TO DISCUSS MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT: “We’ve got some folks up here who are concerned about their Social Security or Medicare. Joan Geist is with us. … I could tell — she was looking at me when I first walked in the room to meet her, she was wondering whether or not old George W. is going to take away her Social Security check.” (White House)

8PM CDT — RUMSFELD ATTENDS SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL GAME: Rumsfeld “joined Padres President John Moores in the owner’s box…at Petco Park.” (Editor & Publisher)

8PM CDT – GOV. BLANCO AGAIN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FROM BUSH: “Mr. President, we need your help. We need everything you’ve got.” (Newsweek)

LATE PM – BUSH GOES TO BED WITHOUT ACTING ON BLANCO’S REQUESTS (Newsweek)

Tuesday, August 30

11AM CDT – BUSH SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT NAVAL BASE CORONADO (White House)

MIDDAY – CHERTOFF FINALLY BECOMES AWARE THAT LEVEE HAS FAILED: “It was on Tuesday that the levee–may have been overnight Monday to Tuesday–that the levee started to break. And it was midday Tuesday that I became aware of the fact that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that essentially the lake was going to start to drain into the city.” (Meet the Press, 9/4/05)

PENTAGON CLAIMS THERE ARE ENOUGH NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN REGION: “Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said the states have adequate National Guard units to handle the hurricane needs.” (WWL-TV)

MASS LOOTING REPORTED, SECURITY SHORTAGE CITED: “The looting is out of control. The French Quarter has been attacked,” Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson said. “We’re using exhausted, scarce police to control looting when they should be used for search and rescue while we still have people on rooftops.” (AP)

U.S.S. BATAAN SITS OFF SHORE, VIRTUALLY UNUSED: “The USS Bataan, a 844-foot ship designed to dispatch Marines in amphibious assaults, has helicopters, doctors, hospital beds, food and water. It also can make its own water, up to 100,000 gallons a day. And it just happened to be in the Gulf of Mexico when Katrina came roaring ashore. The Bataan rode out the storm and then followed it toward shore, awaiting relief orders. Helicopter pilots flying from its deck were some of the first to begin plucking stranded New Orleans residents. But now the Bataan’s hospital facilities, including six operating rooms and beds for 600 patients, are empty.” (Chicago Tribune)

2PM CDT – PRESIDENT BUSH PLAYS GUITAR WITH COUNTRY SINGER MARK WILLIS (AP)

BUSH RETURNS TO CRAWFORD FOR FINAL NIGHT OF VACATION (AP)

Wednesday, August 31

1:45AM CDT – FEMA REQUESTS AMBULANCES THAT DO NOT EXIST: “Almost 18 hours later, [FEMA] canceled the request for the ambulances because it turned out, as one FEMA employee put it, ‘the DOT doesn’t do ambulances.’” (Wall Street Journal)

NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ARRIVE IN LOUSIANA, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA: Troops arrive two days after they are requested. (Boston Globe)

TENS OF THOUSANDS TRAPPED IN SUPERDOME; CONDITIONS DETERIORATE: “A 2-year-old girl slept in a pool of urine. Crack vials littered a restroom. Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed by teenagers. ‘We pee on the floor. We are like animals,’ said Taffany Smith, 25, as she cradled her 3-week-old son, Terry. … By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror. … At least two people, including a child, have been raped. At least three people have died, including one man who jumped 50 feet to his death, saying he had nothing left to live for. There is no sanitation. The stench is overwhelming.”" (Los Angeles Times, 9/1/05)

PRESIDENT BUSH FINALLY ORGANIZES TASK FORCE TO COORDINATE FEDERAL RESPONSE: Bush says on Tuesday he will “fly to Washington to begin work…with a task force that will coordinate the work of 14 federal agencies involved in the relief effort.” (New York Times, 8/31/05)

JEFFERSON PARISH EMERGENCY DIRECTOR SAYS FOOD AND WATER SUPPLY GONE: “Director Walter Maestri: FEMA and national agencies not delivering the help nearly as fast as it is needed.” (WWL-TV)

80,000 BELIEVED STRANDED IN NEW ORLEANS: Former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy “estimated 80,000 were trapped in the flooded city and urged President Bush to send more troops.” (Reuters)

3,000 STRANDED AT CONVENTION CENTER WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER: “With 3,000 or more evacuees stranded at the convention center — and with no apparent contingency plan or authority to deal with them — collecting a body was no one’s priority. … Some had been at the convention center since Tuesday morning but had received no food, water or instructions.” (Times- Picayune)

PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DECLARED FOR ENTIRE GULF COAST: “After a natural disaster, short and long-term medical problems can occur. Diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and mosquito-borne illnesses tend to break out under these conditions.” (WCBS-TV)]

CHERTOFF “EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE” OF THE GOVERNMENT: “We are extremely pleased with the response that every element of the federal government, all of our federal partners, have made to this terrible tragedy.” (Department of Homeland Security)

EARLY AM – BLANCO AGAIN TRIES TO REQUEST HELP FROM BUSH: “She was transferred around the White House for a while until she ended up on the phone with Fran Townsend, the president’s Homeland Security adviser, who tried to reassure her but did not have many specifics. Hours later, Blanco called back and insisted on speaking to the president. When he came on the line, the governor recalled, “I just asked him for help, ‘whatever you have’.” She asked for 40,000 troops.” (Newsweek)

4PM CDT — BUSH GIVES FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS ON KATRINA: “Nothing about the president’s demeanor… — which seemed casual to the point of carelessness — suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis.” (New York Times)

7PM CDT – CONDOLEEZZA RICE TAKES IN A BROADWAY SHOW: “On Wednesday night, Secretary Rice was booed by some audience members at ‘Spamalot!, the Monty Python musical at the Shubert, when the lights went up after the performance.” (New York Post, 9/2/05)

8PM CDT — FEMA DIRECTOR BROWN CLAIMS SURPRISE OVER SIZE OF STORM: “I must say, this storm is much much bigger than anyone expected.” [CNN]

Thursday, September 1

7AM CDT — BUSH CLAIMS NO ONE EXPECTED LEVEES TO BREAK: “I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” (Washington Post)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE VISITS U.S. OPEN: “Rice, [in New York] on three days’ vacation to shop and see the U.S. Open, hitting some balls with retired champ Monica Seles at the Indoor Tennis Club at Grand Central.” (New York Post)

STILL NO COMMAND AND CONTROL ESTABLISHED: Terry Ebbert, New Orleans Homeland Security Director: “This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can’t bail out the city of New Orleans.” (Fox News)

2PM CDT — MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES “DESPERATE SOS” TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: “This is a desperate SOS. Right now we are out of resources at the convention centre and don’t anticipate enough buses. We need buses. Currently the convention centre is unsanitary and unsafe and we’re running out of supplies.” (Guardian)

2PM CDT — MICHAEL BROWN CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE HEARD OF REPORTS OF VIOLENCE: “I’ve had no reports of unrest, if the connotation of the word unrest means that people are beginning to riot, or you know, they’re banging on walls and screaming and hollering or burning tires or whatever. I’ve had no reports of that.” (CNN)

NEW ORLEANS “DESCEND[S] INTO ANARCHY”: “Storm victims were raped and beaten, fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. ‘This is a desperate SOS,’ the mayor said.” (AP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE GOES SHOE SHOPPING: “Just moments ago at the Ferragamo on 5th Avenue, Condoleeza Rice was seen spending several thousands of dollars on some nice, new shoes (we’ve confirmed this, so her new heels will surely get coverage from the WaPo’s Robin Givhan). A fellow shopper, unable to fathom the absurdity of Rice’s timing, went up to the Secretary and reportedly shouted, ‘How dare you shop for shoes while thousands are dying and homeless!’” (Gawker)

MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY LEARNS OF EVACUEES IN CONVENTION CENTER: “We learned about that (Thursday), so I have directed that we have all available resources to get that convention center to make sure that they have the food and water and medical care that they need.” (CNN)

Friday, September 2

ROVE-LED CAMPAIGN TO BLAME LOCAL OFFICIALS BEGINS: “Under the command of President Bush’s two senior political advisers, the White House rolled out a plan…to contain the political damage from the administration’s response to Hurricane Katrina.” President Bush’s comments from the Rose Garden Friday morning formed “the start of this campaign.” (New York Times, 9/5/05)

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES DEMAND THAT DHS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WORKER-SAFETY: “By Friday, experts and officials from NIH, the Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency began to make frantic calls to the Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress, demanding that the worker-safety portion of the national response plan be activated.” (Wall Street Journal)

EARLY AM — BUSH WATCHES DVD OF THE WEEK’S NEWSCASTS CREATED BY STAFF WHO THOUGHT BUSH “NEEDED TO SEE THE HORRIFIC REPORTS”: “The reality, say several aides who did not wish to be quoted because it might displease the president, did not really sink in until Thursday night. Some White House staffers were watching the evening news and thought the president needed to see the horrific reports coming out of New Orleans. Counselor Bartlett made up a DVD of the newscasts so Bush could see them in their entirety as he flew down to the Gulf Coast the next morning on Air Force One.” (Newsweek)

10 AM CDT — PRESIDENT BUSH STAGES PHOTO-OP “BRIEFING”: Coast Guard helicopters and crew diverted to act as backdrop for President Bush’s photo-op.

10:35AM CDT — BUSH PRAISES MICHAEL BROWN: “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.” (White House)

BUSH VISIT GROUNDS FOOD AID: “Three tons of food ready for delivery by air to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the Crescent City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted because of President Bush’s visit to New Orleans, officials said.” (Times-Picayune)

LEVEE REPAIR WORK ORCHESTRATED FOR PRESIDENT’S VISIT: Sen. Mary Landrieu, 9/3: “Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment.” (Sen. Mary Landrieu)

BUSH USES 50 FIREFIGHTERS AS PROPS IN DISASTER AREA PHOTO-OP: A group of 1,000 firefighters convened in Atlanta to volunteer with the Katrina relief efforts. Of those, “a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew’s first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.” (Salt Lake Tribune; Reuters)

12PM CDT — BUSH “SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE”: “I am satisfied with the response. I am not satisfied with all the results.” (AP)

PM – FEMA’S NO. 2 OFFICIAL “IMPRESSED” WITH GOVERNMENT RESPONSE: “I am actually very impressed with the mobilization of man and machine to help our friends in this unfortunate area….I think it’s one of the most impressive search-and-rescue operations this country has ever conducted domestically.” (Time)

Saturday, September 3

SENIOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL LIES TO WASHINGTON POST, CLAIMS GOV. BLANCO NEVER DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY: The Post reported in their Sunday edition “As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of emergency, the senior Bush official said.” They were forced to issue a correction hours later. (Washington Post)

9AM CDT — BUSH BLAMES STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS: “[T]he magnitude of responding to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need.” (White House)

8:05PM CDT – FEMA FINALIZES BUS REQUEST: “FEMA ended up modifying the number of buses it thought it needed to get the job done, until it settled on a final request of 1,335 buses at 8:05 p.m. on Sept. 3. The buses, though, trickled into New Orleans, with only a dozen or so arriving the first day.” (Wall Street Journal)



Tuesday, January 24, 2006

the rock that spied me- wasn't that a bond film?


russia accuses britain of spying

The fake rock identified in the latest scandal is said to have been used as a drop for secret information, but with a high-tech twist. The hidden communication device allowed a Russian agent to transmit information in bursts lasting no more than a second or two, Mr. Ignatchenko and other security officials said. The British operatives could then download the information with their own palm computers, the officials said.

you got to wonder what other gems they have and are working on..they should have gone with fake dog poo. nobody would have suspected a thing. the spy just sidles up next to it with a dog, the dog does his business, the spy pickes up the spy poop and job done

day to day in iraq

from the new york times:

A cowboy on his steel horse shot at me.
The four days of the Eid al-Adha holiday were calm and peaceful – no explosions, no roadside bombs, no clashes in the streets. But all that changed on Saturday, January 14th, the first day after the holiday.

I was driving home from my clinic around 5:15 p.m., the time I usually return home, because it's not safe to be out past sunset. I was 50 meters away from my house – which is located on a service road parallel to a main street. The street and the service road are separated by a curb two meters wide.

While I was driving slowly on the service road, an American patrol, which consisted of three armored-car Strykers, passed by on the main street, moving in the same direction as I was. When the first Stryker passed me, a soldier riding on top fired two shots in my direction. One bullet came in through the half-opened driver's window and hit the window of the opposite door, smashing it to pieces. Thank God, somehow it missed me.

I stopped the car and got out, thinking that the soldiers might stop and explain why they had shot at me. But they didn't. They kept on driving. There were no other people in the vicinity, except a neighbor at a shop nearby, who saw the whole thing. The next morning I went to replace the broken window. Nearly every person I met in the repair shot had a similar tale to tell.

I wonder now, if the shot had had killed me, how would the troops have explained it? Would I have become a terrorist killed while trying to explode himself near an American patrol? Or perhaps I would only be collateral damage, killed while soldiers chased a terrorist? Or maybe a terrorist had killed me, and the Americans chased him, though he managed to escape.

I will leave you to decide. In the chaos of this occupation, innocents are killed by all sides. But don’t we have the right to hate the people who are now occupying our country. Shall we celebrate the freedom and democracy brought to us by the occupation in spite of the perils our citizens face?

Questions need answers. Who will answer them?

probably the same crew that concocted the pat tillman story....in case you've forgotten:

Tillman, 27, was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, based at Fort Lewis, Wash. The battalion was involved in Operation Mountain Storm in southeastern Afghanistan, part of the U.S. campaign against fighters of the al-Qaida terror network and the former Taliban government along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, military officials told NBC News.

U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Matthew Beevers said Saturday that Tillman was killed Thursday night in a firefight at about 7 p.m. on a road near Sperah, about 25 miles southwest of a U.S. base at Khost.

After coming under fire, Tillman’s patrol got out of their vehicles and gave chase, moving toward the spot of the ambush. Beevers said the fighting was “sustained” and lasted 15-20 minutes.

Beevers said Tillman was killed by enemy fire, but he had no information about what type of weapons were involved in the assault, or whether he died instantly.An Afghan militiaman fighting alongside Tillman also was killed, and two other U.S. soldiers were wounded.A local Afghan commander, Gen. Khial Bas, told The Associated Press that nine enemy fighters were killed in the confrontation.

Bas said six other enemy fighters were believed to have escaped. Beevers said he had no information about any enemy fighters killed.

that's how the whole country learned of tillman's death. however, just one month later, after all the tributes, etc. from the senate to the nfl were made:

New details released yesterday about Tillman's death indicate that he was gunned down by members of his elite Army Ranger platoon who mistakenly shot in his direction when the unit was ambushed. According to a summary of the Army investigation, a Ranger squad leader mistook an allied Afghan Militia Force soldier standing near Tillman as the enemy, and he and other U.S. soldiers opened fire, killing both men.

That Tillman, 27, wasn't killed by enemy fire in a heroic rescue attempt was a major revelation by the U.S. military more than a month after the April 22 incident, which the Pentagon and members of Congress had hailed as an example of combat bravery. Tillman's sacrifice of millions of dollars when he left the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals to become a soldier has been held up as a stark contrast to the prison scandal in Iraq.

getting answers is one thing. getting the truth is often a lot harder and nearly always comes in second, if at all.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

i'm taking the bus
























as much as i thank denver for ousting the pats, i've always liked the steelers.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

uno


just watched uno on dvd. not exactly your typical hollywood will smith shoot 'em up blockbuster.

an intense film at times.

definitely recommended.

whale

















when was the last time a whale was seen swimming in a capital city?
sadly, this creature died while rescuers transported it to deeper waters.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

the great one


went to the zoo to see the panda cub. predictably, he was asleep, so we went to the great apes house. spent a long time with 'mopie' otherwise known as 'the great one'.

he is unusual in that you can look at him face to face (gorillas don't normally like this - act of aggression)

he's also incredible to be near. walking by this amazing creature is missing the point. he's big, even for a silverback. he's impressive. there was only a few people in the great ape house, a fact that made the time spent there much more rewarding.

i was informed that if you pay attention to the other apes, he'll regard that as unimpressive. the best thing is to sit like them and copy what they do. with a lot of luck they'll interact with you. at 500lbs, i guess he's entitled to that view.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

'it's cat and dogging it' in dc


as we say in england, when it rains really hard.

we're going to the national zoo to see the new baby panda cub, tai shan. and monkeys; things like that.

weather gods: would you please stop raining. thank you.

Monday, January 16, 2006

well done!









congrats go to rebecca for beating me in chess this morning.

she said it was the best game she'd ever played.

nutty could do nothing but tip his king.

a question for the creationists

if god created the world in six days, and on the seventh he rested, why did he give the world earthquakes?

i ask this because of the 4 million homeless pakistanis are facing winter living in tents that are not designed for winter, thanks to an earthquake.

no doubt about it: intelligent design. well done on taking that day off....

Sunday, January 15, 2006

superbowl half time


the geriatric half time show......

go bears!


okay. i'm two for two. i picked denver, and i picked pittsburgh. i'm going for three with chicago.

no cheese, please!

i'm rooting for the steelers. i can't imagine the cheese factor if the colts win.

lloyd nails it on the head.

as lloyd, our great concierge, put it this morning, of the redskin's game yesterday:

"i'm programmed for disappointment"

thank you denver! thank you denver!


the denver broncos have done football fans a very great service. i was not a particular fan of the broncos, but all that has changed.

anyone watching the nfl will know exactly what i mean.

what do you reckon are the odds of visa picking this year's superbowl winners to feature on their ads? and not, say houston. but if the texans get reggie bush or vince young, they might just be brave enough, but i doubt it.

call me 'mister unadventurous', but my guess is they'll go with the tired and obvious campaign of superbowl winners, because the america media doesn't like anyone else.

how's this country going to deal with not being number one in the not-to distant future? in england, we're used to losing. but when we do win, it's a big thing.

it hasn't happened yet, BUT:
























anyone watching jimmey kimmel will have seen this. i thought it was a send-up, but no.
apparently, it's not bad enough to have real natural disasters, so in an attempt to boost their viewership, the weather channel is airing catastrophies of what could happen if the worst weather events were to strike in major metropolitan areas. er, exactly how did memphis make it onto the site instead of say, the nation's capital? obviously, nothing bad is going to happen here in d.c. well; that's a relief....

conclusion: utterly ridiculous.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

come on denver!









you're just one quarter away from putting an end to next season's nfl new england love-fest adverts...

R.I.P.

'hawks peel 'skins :(

game on...

we're still waiting...

Friday, January 13, 2006

stargate atlantis












is that biesch i see in this episode? what is he doing?

probably introducing everyone to the power of cheese....

bit of a 'pea souper' in dc this morning

which one's which?

















that's a tricky one....

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

something deadly has been unleashed...


just watched the movie "icequeen"

this film easily makes my top 5 of most absurd movies seen.

not only do i recommend seeing the film itself, but just wait 'til you check out the 'behing the scenes'

southpark...

...never fails to deliver.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

it's not too late!



hurry, while stocks last!
this limited edition stock model, comes complete with facial stitches and a (very easily) detachable sidecar.

a deluxe california model is also available, as above, but also includes a governer's press secretary, and a valid motorcycle license...

let it snow...


from yesterday's new york times: japan-

One of the hardest-hit areas, the town of Tsunan here in Niigata Prefecture, lay under nearly 13 feet of snow in recent days. Old-timers say it is the heaviest snowfall since 1945, a year remembered here as much as for its 23 feet of snow as for the end of World War II.

13 feet?!

new 2007 dodge challenger


this concept car is how the new dodge challenger, slated for a 2007 launch will look.

if dodge puts this into production without spoiling the design, then there's hope for a real return to style in the american auto industry.

thai curry and a movie


went over to tanc's for a thai curry and to watch the dvd "football factory"

great meal and a very good film. i rate this film higher than "24 hour party people".

Monday, January 09, 2006

800 bullets


a very worthy of recommendation film.

ladies: need to get rid of dinner guests in a hurry?


tired of having to buy a new bottle of perfume every year?

if so, then this new 3/4 gallon, economy parfum should do the trick.

apply liberally, then wait for everyone to bolt..


if that doesn't work, try singing "where is the love"

Sunday, January 08, 2006

hm? what's on tv?


you may have noticed that i've posted a lot of football blogs recently.

it doesn't mean to imply that i've been watching a lot of football these past few days.....

touchdown!


trickiest touchdown of the weekend's playoffs has go to the pittsburgh steelers.

that had to be very hard to watch if you're a bengals fan.

i want to see joe gibbs call that play.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

we live to fight seattle.

went over to tanc's to watch the game with david, tiernan, & victor. tough game to watch. especially the end.

long suffering 'skins fans have waited long enough.

new england patriots and suzie kolber.

enough is enough!

i'm so hoping that new england gets beaten by jacksonville in the playoff game today.

perhaps then, coors light, visa, and pepsi will choose a different team to showcase their products. in the case of coors light; is this product actually a beer?

as for suzie kolber, please, please, do something other than commentate in the nfl. you are the most nasally annoying sports commentator i've ever had the misfortune to endure.

modern technology



in 1950, this was it!

was called 'simon'

knew the numbers 0, 1, 2 & 3

cost $300. then

Friday, January 06, 2006

the hostel


am i the only person who finds the very idea of this wholly offensive?

perhaps quentin tarantino and eli roth will go to iraq to do some research for the sequel and manage to get captured by abu musab al-zarqawi's followers.








perhaps then they would feel a little differently about putting their names onto a film, dealing with torture, for commercial benefit, which is being released at the worst of possible times.

i bet the iraqis in baghdad can't wait for it be released....

hey; as the movie poster says: "inspired by true events"

inspired?!

i trust all the proceeds of this film will be given to torture victims and their families.....

the best thing on tv last night? - the vince young show


anyone see the vince young show last night?

er, i mean the rose bowl..

he ran for 192 yards and 4 touchdowns!

wow!

if only the superbowl could match this game.

gazuza

second thursday that i haven't dj'd at gazuza due to the whiplash injury. the guys there are being very decent and holding my spot for me when i can go back.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

no show


our dell 20" lcd flatscreen died this evening :(

come on redskins!

fedex orange bowl
























shame they had to divide such a great game of football with this rubbish

let's hope tomorrow's game will be half as good as this defensive standoff.