Makeover coming for man once wrongly dubbed 'snaggletooth killer' (phillyBurbs.com)

Makeover coming for man once wrongly dubbed 'snaggletooth killer' (phillyBurbs.com)

For those who support the death penalty there is the example of Ray Krone. A man who was twice convicted of a murder which he did not commit. Ray Krone spent two years on death row, had his conviction overturned on procedural grounds then reconvicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder he ended up being exonerated on thanks to our friend dna. The article is about him being on a television show which does radical makeovers on people. Ray has a crooked grill and is otherwise not handsome. Nicknamed 'snaggletooth' over his dental deficiencies and convicted thanks to a supposed match of his bite to bites on the victim, his case is another example of why the death penalty is unjust and immoral. Look for his makeover and story to be seen on tv.

Powell Says Iran Is Pursuing Bomb (washingtonpost.com)

Powell Says Iran Is Pursuing Bomb (washingtonpost.com)

There is no question that Iran has been and will continue to pursue the creation of nuclear weapons to include warheads and missile technology. The only surprise here is that Colin (don't confront anything headon) Powell said the words that everyone already knew. This is one of those signals that lets everyone know we know and so don't be surprised when those jets bomb the facilities that don't exist.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | UN probe backs Iran nuclear claim

BBC NEWS | Middle East | UN probe backs Iran nuclear claim

This game has been played before and it depends on how Israel and the United States view how close Iran is to making their nuclear weapons. It's no longer unusual to see Europe and the UN going against the United States in such a matter and the reality of more Islamic nations getting the nuclear weapons that will eventually be used in the middle east and possibly on a container ship to the United States is greater every day. Of course I know that there are political scientists busy trying to write 'laws' that fit the facts that nuclear weapons have not been used when two nations in opposition are in possession of said nukes. The US vs the USSR and now India vs Pakistan. Those political scientists will look at the fact that India and Pakistan have moved to the negotiation table, perhaps sobered by their mutual knowledge that a nuclear exchange would be horrific and the idea of a winner and loser would not be relevant. The danger is that this an assumtion that you have two rational players. I wouldn't bet on Pakistan continuing to be a rational player if a more theologically based leadership emerges. With Iran with a nuclear capability the chance of irrational behavior by the theocratic government is very possible. For that reason, Israel and or the US will not allow the weapon to be developed. So we see Iran agreeing to suspend their nuclear program. That agreement is in the national interest of Iran as is the hide and seek, we'll keep trying to get the nukes behavior that will continue.

The Death Penalty on Trial - Bill Curtis

Glancing over at FOX News, I see the familiar Bill Curtis discussing the Scott Peterson case, a case that by the way will be overturned. The discussion is about the death penalty and Bill Curtis who was previously a death penalty advocate. After the experience with the Illinois death penalty investigation turned up the well known information about over a dozen not guilty men on death row and the subsequent action by Governor Ryan to take every person off of death row Mr Curtis took to his own investigation and now has come down against the death penalty. He cites a study that shows that there is 65% reversible error in death penalty cases. Well, big surprise, the justice system is broken and thanks to dna and the attention over errors in the system it's suddenly found out that innocent people get convicted. Anyways, it's nice to see Bill Curtis see the light.

Alberto Gonzales: A Record of Injustice - Center for American Progress

Alberto Gonzales: A Record of Injustice - Center for American Progress

Alberto Gonzales is a fellow with whom many people have issues. Disturbing advice given to President Bush about how many of the provisions of the Geneva Conventions are 'obsolete' is one bad sign of a fellow with a bad grasp of law. Another issue which is of concern for people who find this website has to do with his advice as chief legal counsel to President Bush when Bush was the govenor of Texas. Specifically the information he gave with regards to death row inmates and Terry Washington, a 33 year old retarded man in particular. Bush based his final decisions concerning death row inmates facing execution on the words written by Gonzales. Gonzales failed, in the case of Washinton, to even mention the issues of mental retardation as well as issues of ineffectiveness of council. Whether you agree with the death penalty or not, the idea that the next attorney general for the United States will be so lax in his ability to convey the complete set of issues in any given circumstance is bothersome to say the least.

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Mystery sub sparks Japan alert

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Mystery sub sparks Japan alert

I was listening to a public radio station today. There was a fellow, a scholar who had written a book about how war as a 'institution' was becoming extinct. Mainly he defined wars away, - calling them conflicts or police actions and said basically the big honking wars involving states are a thing of the past. His evidence was that Europe, previously a war happy, constantly in conflict kinda place was a blindingly peacful nook of the planet now. Humm. He forgot that little Serbian thing or rather he defined that conflict away. Also, in an effort to run towards his happy liberal paradise of mankind he really failed to even understand that the absense of war as he defines it doesn't mean it's permanently gone. So absurd. The link shows one of the permanent conflicts in the world which has not gone away and will not go away. A chinese sub probes into Japanese territory raising alarm in the Japanese military forces. The article goes on to say that the two parties have been in diplomatic conflict over the east china sea and the resources that may be there. Both China and Japan as well as the Phillippines for that matter, claim some or all of the area and thereby the rights to the resources of the area. An area of conflict, an area of traditional conflict- resources. Something that will not go away and thereby bodes for the future possibility for war. The end of war. Wow, somebody get on the horn and tell Pakistan/India, China/Taiwan, China/Japan, Christianity/Islam, Islam/Judaism, etc the good news.

Boing Boing: My Modest Proposal: The U.S.A.R.�

Boing Boing: My Modest Proposal: The U.S.A.R.�

And so the whining continues. This one is almost humorous and almost witty. It's definitely condescending, as befitting this type of person who finds themselves on the losing side of a political argument. You know the type, a person who never is able to comprehend that the ideas they expouse are not shared and so there must be something wrong with everyone else. It does take a great deal of ego to believe that you are right when the majority of people think otherwise.

The writer is confused if he thinks that tolerance is a value he believes in. The article is proof against that. Slavery? Well you know it took a new political party to bring this issue up and bring it to a head. The Republican Party if you knew any history at all. And those politicians down south fighting to keep Jim Crow were Democrats from the Democratic Party. Humm. All those fine educational institutions he mentions as proof of certain geographical superiority clearly didn't give him any information to chew on.

His uneducated and uninformed screed continues where he randomly and falsely cherry picks what he thinks are 'educated' liberal views and those that are not. Limited government is not and never has been a liberal value. The idea that the folks in the red states want a theocracy is just plain ignorant. Really now, it's the efforts of the liberal judges and politicians who seek to eradicate every vestige of religion from the ceremony and history of life which is the radical viewpoint. Look at the founding instruments of the country, look at history. Ah but that might interfere with everything you already know and believe. Like I said, almost amusing.

ABC News: Inside a Maximum Security Women's Prison

ABC News: Inside a Maximum Security Women's Prison

This Primetime Live show caught my eye and so I found the web page that would go with it. I was wondering if there would be a angle, a cynical bleeding heart view or a sensationalistic view. Actually seemed pretty balanced and almost realistic. Heck of a lot less violent and scary that the same version for men though. Decent job.

US News Article | Reuters.com

US News Article | Reuters.com

Deon Tumblin a 27 year old male on death row in Texas since 2001 for the strangulation murder of 75 year old Texarkana woman Evelyn Reid, hung himself in his cell at Polunsky Unit prision Livingston Texas. The Reuters report notes ironically enough that there were efforts to resuscitate him. Other pertinent information is that there have been five suicides on death row in Texas since 1974 and that Texas has 447 people on death row, they've executed 19 this year and Texas is the state that executes the most people.

Calling Syria, Iran, North Korea: Let The Ass-Whuppings Begin

Watching the concession speech by Kerry a while ago and listening to the Victory Speeches by Cheney and Bush I feel that they will bring some more thunder to those countries that harbor and assist terrorists. With an actual mandate and an actual majority Bush will feel better able to continue the war he feels is necessary. Which means he felt a bit constrained earlier which is a scary thought. So Iran best go take pictures of their nuclear facilities and wish to themselves that they would have hid behind the Europeans and the deal they were offering. You can almost hear the bomb racks being loaded up.

Yahoo! News - Top Stories Photos - APj-Daschle's smiling mug (not)

Yahoo! News - Top Stories Photos - AP: "Daschle"

Don't you just love this picture of Daschle? He looks so unsmug.

Aha-Bush wins as I predicted

Well goodness gracious. It was close, but not so very close. My instincts were correct and my October 27th prediction of Bush as the winner was dead on. And now of course it's the long and sometimes messy last gasp happening now. Ohio is being contested as of the moment I write this. The networks are being gun shy and not calling New Mexico and Nevada which are clearly Bush wins which is simply ratings bait. It was fun, I wanted to watch the Ice Skating Rink at Rockefeller Center painted over but NBC was so slow and hardly ever went back to that live real graphic. I did appreciate the banners down the side of the building at NBC to, pretty cool. That was great. Like all good americans I flipped channels around to the various news stations and networks, certainly no commercial touched my eyes. I had to stop and watch Gilmore Girls cause it's my favorite show and the news wasn't going anywhere.

Mostly FOX News for me as whenever one of the other networks got annoying or put a shrill political hack on I changed to another channel. Susan Estrich was particularly shrill and annoying and clearly not in touch with reality at the late hour when the writing was on the wall and the need to be an advocate was no longer a valid reason to act like a well, a shrill political hack which is what she is. Britt Hume was great, very laconic and not letting any of the talking heads get too very stupid. I'd flip over to see CBS for a moment to see if Dan Rather would melt down and look into the camera to say 'courage' or go into a little homespun story about how the truth of the universe could be grasped by watching the behavior of cows under the stars on the range and how that related to the quiet inner struggles of Senator Kerry. Peter Jennings, perhaps they didn't have enough shiny lights on their election coverage set because I don't remember stopping over there for a minute. Flipping over to The Daily Show I saw Stewart cry a bit, saw Sharpton whine a bit and heard Stewart shout out a plea to Sharpton to quit being a partisan political hack for just a minute since all the polls were closed and there was no earthly reason to keep spouting the talking points. Ahhh. Then I had had enough of that and back to Britt Hume's sleepy self as they wondered if there were going to be enough provisional votes in Ohio to make a difference. Ah- the cool part of the night was seeing Daschle lose. He's such an arrogant ass and it always frosted me when he'd be there smugly making a point. Perhaps the homestead in DC as opposed to a home in his home state didn't quite sit well with the good people of South Dakota. They saw what was true, that Daschle had gone native (beltway) and was not in touch with the people of his home state.

Documentary maker killed for his film 'Submission' - exposing violence against women in Islamic Societies

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Gunman kills Dutch film director

The war, the 'clash of cultures' continues around the globe. Islam versus the west. Here a dutch director who filmed an expose with political activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali - herself under death threats since escaping an arranged marriage and working with this film was assassinated. If you read the BBC article, the film, which told the truth, in nonetheless 'controversial' because apparently the truth is insulting to islamic culture. Last I heard Salman Rushdie was still condemned to death by various Ayatollah types as well. The lesson is to keep your mouth shut and for heavens sake, don't tell the truth. And don't mention heaven if it isn't the authorized version.

Bush Going Away - Maybe, I think

My instincts and spider senses tell me that it isn't as close as they are making it out to be. That Bush is going to win Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, heck maybe even New Jersey and Hawaii. The razor thin - too close to call nonsense that the media types bring forth every Presidential election cycle as they struggle between their two urges to make money and tell us who to vote for conflict at this nexus point of decision. Oooh, that sounded sufficiently turgid. At any rate, I've already voted. A nastier vote I don't think I've ever made. I feel cheap and dirty after having penciled my choice in. Horrible. And the waiting for the winner, like watching a train wreck will likewise be horrible. Our slide into banana republic elections continues.

OBL, well it was nice to see him again. He's looking a bit thinner and more tired. Seeing him means that they don't have the juice to do any actual bombing. Looks like the scare of a election surprise may be just that, a scare. Of course, it does make me mad that our guys can't find him. It's not like we don't know who they are going to give the tape to and so why can't we follow the guy who gave out the video tape of OBL and then follow every single freaking bastard he talks to until somebody slips up and we can find OBL in his cave, hut or house. It's pitiful. Whatever happened to 'whatever it takes?'