Cheney on Iran: "All Options are on the table"

Bloomberg:

Vice President Dick Cheney said the U.S. is committed to a diplomatic course to resolve a nuclear dispute with Iran and warned that "all options are still on the table'' to halt the country's atomic aspirations.

Shut up. Cheney may think, in his little twisted fantasy of a political situation, that "all options are still on the table" but that's like saying that Britney Spears could get in to politics. Possible, but highly unlikely. In reality, the Bush-Cheney administration is pinned up against a wall, by the angry mob of America brandishing torches and Baby Einstein DVDs. Short of handing out free chocolate popsicles to Congress, there is no way that it (being Democratic) would approve of going to war with Iran, or general bombardment of military targets. The Dems are too worried about how that would affect their upcoming presidential bid to do a stupid thing like that, and thank God!
Bombardment of military targets is a bad idea a) because it puts our fighter pilots in harms way and b) because it can be used by the government to turn the mostly moderate Iranian people against us
War is such a bad idea that it makes me puke thinking about it.


P.S sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been really busy

Return to Politics

The last couple of posts I have made have mostly been on technology so I'm going to go back to politics for a little while.

So Mike McConnell got sworn in as intelligence director of the CIA and President Bush said that the American intelligence community must implement more reforms in order to meet the challenges of the war on terrorism.

That sounds like the pot calling the tea kettle black. Maybe before he pins his invasion of privacy woes on poor old Mike he should stop backing the PATRIOT ACT and wipe the smirk off of his face because he knows he can legally search someones house without a warrant and send them off to Guantanamo Bay at a whim, after labeling them enemy combatants.

How Technology Will Forever Influence Politics Part 4

Ok so you've heard the good, of how technology is going to influence politics, but what about the bad.

With the advent of e-voting machines without proper security, it becomes easier to rig elections and tamper with the evidence as there is no paper trail. It is easier for a politician to get into your living room than ever before, with internet, email, tv, telephone, and radio ads at their disposal. It will be easier for people with power, to stay in power, and personal battles between politicians including smear campaigns, will be wide spread.


So that my friends is a four part series on how Technology, will forever influence politics.

Comments?

If you want a Wii Go to Sams Club...They have lots of them....high five!

Yesterday, I went on a mission to find a Wii. I went to CompUSA, Best Buy, EB Games, Gamestop, Walmart, Tar-jey (Target for the uninformed), etc. etc. By the end of the day, I was on my last legs, and had almost given up hope for being able to throw my Wii-mote through a window because the wrist straps broke and then be able to sue Nintendo. Just kidding. The last store I visited EB Games, had a bored looking clerk, who looked like he knew what I was going to ask him before I even said it, and say "No, and I don't know when the next shipment is coming in you ignorant little twat," but he held his breath until I actually did ask him, and then replied "No, and I don't know when the next shipment is coming in." (He said the "ignorant little twat" part with his eyes...it's much more effective).
Being extremely frustrated I asked him if he knew where I could find one, and he replied "Sam's Club" before going back to his game of Guitar Hero. Seeing as there was a Sam's club right across from where I was, I figured, "what the hell" and decided to go check it out.
For those of you who don't know, Sam's Club is actually club. You have to have a membership to get into it, and when you do you get low prices on everything from stone crab to dish washer detergent, all in huge bulk quantities. Seeing as I didn't have a membership, I walked in and went to go sign up. A half hour, and 40 bucks later I had a nice shiny new Sams Club card, and went to go find a Wii.
How Sam's Club does it, is they have a little sign that says the product, and then under it they have these little pieces of paper with a scanner code on it, that you take to the cash register when you check out. Elated that there were little Wii slips left I took one and went over to the cash register to check out. Once I did, a woman came over to look at what slip I had and get my product. This is the part where I get pissed.
She said "Oh, we just sold the last one of those about a minute before you got here."
So the little slips don't correspond to a Wii in the inventory, and I got screwed.

So go get your Wii's and Sam's Club...they have lots of them....HIGH FIVE!

How Technology will Forever Influence Politics Part 3

Technology will bring further political accountability, from the politician to his voters. With so many forms of contact, as well as a scrutinizing media, politicians will have no where to run. If they don't do what the voters want, they won't get elected anymore. In essence, technology will allow the people to run the country, as long as it is properly used.

Either Raise the Draft Age, Or Lower the Drinking Age...You Can't Have Both

Today wha tI want to talk about, is something that has been sort of bothering me for the last couple of weeks.

How come an 18 year old, can be conscripted by the government, to take a rifle, and go kill people in a war that he might not eve agree with, but he can't have a beer at a local bar to celebrate

Some people might say that it is because alcohol is a dangerous substance for a growing mind, and that when you are 18 you are not responsible enough to know how to use properly.

Well let me tell you something. War is a much more dangerous substance for the growing mind, because you can get dead. Or you can be screwed up for life. And why would be sending 18 year olds to fight for us if they weren't responsible? That seems pretty irresponsible to me.

So either raise the draft age, or lower the drinking age. You can't have it both ways.

How Technology Will Forever Influence Politics Part 2

In my last post in this series, I described how technology would allow the average person to not only have a say in how their government is run, but actually run it themselves. In other words, the average politician now-a-days will be a dinosaur in the future.
This point for me was fully proven when I saw this article today about how Al Franken, SNL writer and star turned political humorist and author is running for the U.S Senate. Franken himself says that he is "not the typical politician" and this is the first step towards the change that is going to come. Fifty years ago, a comedian running for president would be ludicrous. Today, it's just starting to be acceptable.
(And probably 90% of the college students of America would vote for John Stewart of the Daily Show if he ran for president.)

Bush: "Iraq Plan is Beginning to Take Shape"

Original Article:

Feb. 14 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said the Iraqi government is keeping its promise to deploy more of its forces in Baghdad and his strategy to help secure the Iraqi capital is ``beginning to take shape.''

Bush, in a White House news conference today, gave an assessment of the initial phase of his plan, which includes sending 21,500 more soldiers and Marines to Iraq. The troops are starting to arrive as Congress debates on a resolution opposing the additional deployments.

``The Iraqi government is following through on its commitment'' to deploy more of its forces in Baghdad, Bush said in opening remarks of his first news conference since Dec. 20. The additional U.S. and Iraqi troops will give the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ``political breathing space.''

Yeah it's beginning to take shape...in the form of a mushroom cloud. Throwing troops at Iraq is being part of the problem, not the solution. You can't just put our men and women on the ground and hope the issue resolves itself. There is a problem here or perceived one, that has to be addressed before Iraq can heal itself and the insurgency dies down. I've said it before and I'll say it again, escalation didn't work in Vietnam, and it isn't working here.

The Politics of Camping

I just wanted to point you guys to an interesting site I found recently from a comment left on this blog.

He makes some valuable points, and gets a laugh or two while doing it. And it's called the Politics of Camping so I can directly justify the fact that it's on this blog because the title has the word Politics in it.

Anyway, my manifesto on how technology is changing politics is coming right along.
I'll post part two tomorrow as promised.

How Technology will Forever Influence Politics Part 1

NOTE: I am going to break this series into parts, because I'm too lazy to type everything tonight, I have a lot of work to do.


Technology is forever going to change politics. In some ways for the better, and in some ways for the worse. On the good side, it will increase political accountability, and it will give the average man a chance to be heard and even to run for office. For the worse, with the advent of electronic voting machines and other sources of media smear campaigns can more easily be run, and elections can more easily be rigged.

Political accountability is the best part about this new political stage created by technology. The public can easily scrutinize every move a politician makes, making it harder to slip votes that were bought under the noses of the people. Technology also brings a platform for the politician to be heard more easily about every issue facing us today using online mediums from podcasts, to blogs to YouTube.

Part Two Coming tommorow.

Pinkus Names Fleisher as the Man Behind the Valerie Plame Leak Case

A Washington Post report today stated that one of its reporters Walter Pinkus, during courtroom testimony, named Ari Fleisher as the first person to tell him that Joe Wilson's wife worked for the CIA.

Pinkus appeared as the first defense witness in the trial he gave testimony that he was at his desk when he received a telephone call from a source, and had a discussion with said source about a trip Joe was taking to Niger to explore a possible uranium connection between that country and Iraq.

This from the WaPo story:

"The person I was calling suddenly swerved off and said . . . 'Don't you know, in effect, his wife works at the CIA, is an analyst on weapons of mass destruction?' " Pincus testified. He told the court that the source said, "That's why people aren't paying attention" to Wilson's findings that the Iraq reports were unfounded, because he had been sent on the mission by his wife.

Asked by defense attorney William Jeffress Jr. whether his source had been Libby, Pincus replied that he had not. Asked who the source was, Pincus replied: "Ari Fleischer."

And he let the prosecution make a case against Scooter Libby and stir the whole country into an uproar when actually it was Ari Fleisher who leaked it because?

Seems a little strange to me.

EDIT:
I'm sorry I need to make a little redaction, Scooter Libby is only charged with lying to police about his conversations with reporters regarding Valerie Plame, not the leak itself.

Tentative Deal in N. Korea Nuclear Talks-Ha I Told You So

Looks like there's been a tentative deal between North Korea and the world about nuclear rearmament. Do I dare say I told you so? Looks like Kim Jong Il decided that being a nuclear country wasn't as much fun as kidnapping the occasional South Korean actress and that having a nuke didn't give him any more self-confidence about his height.

So what does this mean for the world? For now Iran doesn't have an aspiring nuclear buddy to lean on for technology and support meaning that they are going to be forced to negotiate more openly with the U.S. This also takes a little weight off of poor Georgy's boggled mind (he can only concentrate on .5 of an issue at once before he needs a Bud Light).

More soon.

Libby

I wish people like Scooter Libby and Tim Russert would stop play the "I can't recall the specific incident" game and start owning up to the fact that yes, Dick Cheney, was instrumental in the outing of Valerie Wilson to deflect criticism away from the war in Iraq and discourage Joe Wilson from all his trouble making. Dick Cheney is a ghost, and a second term vice president who should step down before he makes things worse than they are.

Ahmadenijad: “We are rapidly becoming a superpower, the language of sanctions belongs to the past.”

Here's an excerpt from a The Week piece on Ahmadinejad:

International inspectors this week confirmed that Iran has begun installing 3,000 uranium-gas centrifuges, bringing the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran closer than ever. Iran continues to insist its goal is peaceful nuclear power, not nuclear weapons, as the U.S. charges. Either way, the installation of centrifuges—which spin uranium into a grade suitable for energy or weaponry—is a flagrant violation of a U.N. resolution that gives Iran until Feb. 23 to suspend enrichment or face a new round of sanctions. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shrugged off the impending deadline. “We are rapidly becoming a superpower,” he said. “The language of sanctions belongs to the past.”

It seems as though average Iranian does not want to become a super power, as there is growing pressure on Ahmedinejad to step down his radical goals for the emerging country. In a rare, and Hitler-esque move, many Western figures of influence from reporters to diplomats were invited to tour on of Iran's nuclear facilities which was frowned upon by Washington. “Suspending [nuclear activities] would build confidence,” said Gregory Schulte, U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency. “Showcasing them does not.”


The situation in Iran, is extremely delicate. We cannot anger Iran lest we endanger our ally Israel and turn the entire Muslim world even more against us than it already is. I don't really know what to say about this one, its an extremely difficult issue. So I'm going to turn it to you. What do you think?

Iraq: Worse and Worserer

In Iraq, all is not lost. But sending 20,000 additional troops to Baghdad is kind of like drinking a slushy faster and faster to get rid of your brain freeze, pointless and stupid. Sending in more troops is a bad idea. It didn't work in Vietnam, and it certainly isn't going to work here.

Having more troops, is just giving insurgents more of a reason to fight, and a better way to recruit. By increasing our presence we are giving them an advantage, and putting more of our sons and daughters in harms way, while exposing ourselves to the possibility of a draft.

The way to peace in Iraq, as I stipulated here, is (I quote):

The first thing to do is turn public opinion away from terrorism, specifically in the young person demographic. We set up charities, and massive food drops. We emblazon our name on everything and hire an experienced PR firm to help.

The second thing to do is set up schools to correct misconceptions about the West that many young people are brought up with in the Arab world today.

We make it seem ridiculous to be a terrorist, show the people Islam as it was intended, as a peaceful religion.

More troops = more death = certain failure in Iraq, and a tarnished worldwide reputation. If we can fix Iraq, the future looks a little bit more bright for the U.S of A

How in the Very Near Future Your Trash Will be Making Your Fuel

It seems like a throwback to Back to the Future, but a man named Joseph Longo and his company, Startech Environmental Corporation, have found a way to bring Hollywood to real life.

The Plasma Converter as it is called, can consume nearly any type of waste (save radioactive) and it uses a process called plasma gasification to make your waste into glass, and ethanol, natural gas, and hydrogen.

It works in this way, (this is a quote from my Popular Science issue from this month):

It works like a little like the big bang, only backwards (you get nothing from something). Inside a sealed vessel made of stainless steel and filled with a stable gas-either pure nitrogen or, as in this case, ordinary air-a 650 volt current passing between two electrodes rips electrons from the air, converting the gas into plasma. Current flows continuously through this newly formed plasma, creating a field of extremely intense energy very much like lighting. The radiant energy of the plasma arc is so powerful, it disintegrates trash into its constituent elements by tearing apart molecular bonds. The system is capable of breaking down pretty much anything except nuclear waste, the isotopes of which are indestructible. The only by-products are an obsidian-like glass...[used for bathroom tiles etc.]...Perhaps the most amazing part of the process is that it's self sustaining. Just like your toaster, Startech's Plasma Converter draws its power from the electrical grid to get started. The initial voltage is about equal to the zap from a police stun-gun. But once the cycle is under way, the 2,2000 F [the resulting gaseous waste] is fed into a cooling system, generating steam that drives turbines to produce electricity...A Startech machine that costs roughly $250 million dollars could handle 2,000 tons of waste a day, approximately what a city of a million people amasses in the time span...[the] converter could pay for itself in about 10 years, and that without factoring in the money made from selling the excess electricity and [gas]. After that break-even point, it's pure profit.

I think that that's the coolest thing I've heard about in a long time, and its very promising for the future.

Social Site for Obamanerds

On his site, Barack Obama recently introduced a social networking feature for all the Obamanerds out there. You can find Obama supporters near you, plan and attend Obama related events, become a fund raiser, and even make your own blog.

This may actually elect him. He wins the inceased support of the young population and encourages them to raise awareness and money for his campaign.

Obama Will Announce His Candidacy Today But...

Barack Obama will announce his candidacy for President today but is he actually electable as a President?

He contends that his thin resume,is his main strength for the candidacy, but can an inexperienced Senator of the people become President? The answer for now, I think is no. Unless Mr. Obama pulls something incredible out of his bag of tricks like propose an Iraq strategy that actually makes sense, I think that Hillary will win the Dems nomination, and will name Barack as her Vice President. Then I think that they will face off with McCain and Rudy,who are probably not going to win, Giuliani has too much baggage.

So President for 2008? Hillary Clinton
Vice President? Barack Obama
I'm not saying I don't like Barack, I'd probably vote for him, but I don't know how many other people would.

Why North Korea Will in the End Cease It's Troublemaking

Kim Jong Il, is not stupid. He may be a sick, twisted, bastard, but he is not stupid. He knows that his regime is ruthless and cruel, and that half of his country is starving while he is the number one consumer of cognac in the world. He knows that there are plenty of countries, the U.S included, that just need one more excuse to go in there and kick his ass. And that is the last thing he wants to happen.

That is why he is going to cease a relationship with Iran that will only further anger the Western countries, stop his nuclear program in exchange for financial aide, and go back to directing "art" movies that would make even his mother throw up.


Iran on the other hand. Well, why don't we give it a little time to see how the situation develops.

See you soon.

Bush Sr. Gives a Little Love

Bush Senior giving a love tap to Terri Hatcher. Apparently Terri Hatcher and Georget Senior had lunch in LA and were spotted having a hug and kiss good-bye as well as a love tap. Long-time good friends. Shhh, don't tell Barbara.

Was Anna Nicole Murdered?

Let me just first start off by saying, that this is not a conspiracy theory. I hate conspiracy theories. I remember I while back watching Nancy Grace interview the mother of Anna Nicole, Virgie Mae Tabers Hogan, and Nancy asked Virgie what she would say to her daughter (they are not speaking). Ms. Hogan who was a law enforcement officer for 28 years replied, (I'm paraphrasing here), Anna, you better watch your step, because Danny did not die of an overdose and you might be next.
And here we are.

I'm probably wrong, who knows?

Here's a corroborating story that I just found with some actual quotes.

Anna Nicole Smith Has Died

I was just watching MSNBC and Anna Nicole Smith's attorney announced that Anna Nicole Smith is dead. Apparently she was suffering flu-like symptoms and woosy. Probable cause is cardiac arrest possibly related to drugs. More info soon.

Anna Nicole Smith Has Died

I was just watching MSNBC and Anna Nicole Smith's attorney announced that Anna Nicole Smith is dead. More info soon.

Why Iraq Refuses to Heal Years After the American Invasion

There is a famous quote that is sometimes attributed to Edmund Burke that goes:

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."

This why, years after the invasion, Iraq is still a battle ground tearing itself apart from within. I was watching Tucker today, and he said that an estimated 50,000 Iraqi's flee the country every month. Why are they fleeing? Because they are being driven out by terrorist groups who see that they have ties to America, or are against the sectarian violence, and threaten to kill them. Iraq in the past few years, has been flushed of all protesters. There is now no one resisting these young men who are brainwashed into believing that they are fighting for Islam, when they are actually fighting for a few radical Muslim clerics who are too wrapped up in creating an
Islamic world, that they go against the very principals that their faith is founded upon.

Iraq refuses to heal, because good men do nothing. I'm not talking about American soldiers, I'm talking about Iraqi citizens who stand up and protest the violent and heinous act's being committed by their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and cousins. They are the only ones that can end this, and a troop surge will only worsen the problem.

Why Barack Obama is Forever Indebted to Joe Biden

Let me just start off with this by now famous quote from Senator Joe Biden:

"I mean you've got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man."

Before Joe Biden said this, Barack Obama had a good chance of being a serious contender in the 2008 election. Now, he is guaranteed a spot. Why is this? Before this quote Obama was an outspoken yet untested junior senator, who didn't really have any sort of experience. People liked him because he was charismatic and his ideas were refreshing, now they like him because he can deal with adversity like a pro, without any of the debilitating affects of being an arthritic 60 year old white guy. Where Al Sharpton's response was funny, saying that he in fact does take a bath every day, Obama's elegant remarks of forgiveness and friendship speak of a true Presidential candidates. Humour, does not necessarily a President make. Dealing with
situations correctly and defusing potentially damaging feud's with ease does.

Now, I don't think Barack Obama will be President. I think Hillary will win the nomination, but I do think that he will be the Vice President, and Joe Biden just brought him one step closer.

Why God Exists, From an Atheist

I don't believe in God. I don't believe that there's some old guy sitting up in a cloud looking down on us and deciding who to kill and who to rain gifts on. But God exists. Why? Because people believe in him. By people believing in him, and using his ideals to motivate them to do great good and great evil, God exists. He exists as an idea in the mind of the religious, and causes them to act. God, an unreal thing, has shaped human existence for the past 5,000 years and counting. If that does not make him real than what does?

Here's a little food for thought about God, that proves he doesn't exist beyond an idea:
If God is all powerful, can he make a rock so big, that he can't lift it?

Comment back.