© Stuart Carlson - 11.30.2005

Found this through Instapundit and it left me LOL.

Sightseers in Buenos Aires got a shock Thursday when the city's most famous landmark, the obelisk, was covered with a giant pink condom on World AIDS Day.

City officials used cranes to unfurl shiny pink cloth over the monolith in a campaign promoting condom use to prevent infection with the HIV virus that causes AIDS.

"It seemed like we could have the biggest impact by putting a condom on the most important symbol of the city," said Sandra Castillo, an organizer of the campaign.

The obelisk, which is identical to the Washington Monument but smaller at 220 feet (67 meters) tall, is a popular tourist site.

© Tom Tomorrow - 10.05.2005

© Darrin Bell - 12.02.2005

From Jim Hightower:

The White House has gone from slippery to silly.

First came the stunning news that George W has ordered his own staff to undergo mandatory refresher courses in ethics. Ethics! Good grief. The Bush White House is to ethics what a New Orleans levee is to flood control: Porous to say the least. Exactly who is George W trying to convince of exactly what with this silly stunt?

Read On

From New York Daily News:

Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid intended to help small downtown businesses that were reeling from the 9/11 attacks often went instead to huge international corporations, companies with little attachment to the stricken area and businesses that were never in jeopardy.

The beneficiaries included a stock brokerage firm that had closed more than a month before the terrorists hit, a giant real estate firm that repeatedly said it wasn't hurt by the attacks, scores of wealthy self-employed floor traders and a Gramercy Park messenger service with a tiny satellite office downtown, a Daily News investigation of 9/11 disaster recovery aid shows.

Read On

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

- Robert Frost

A good friend of mine recently had an article published in the Rocky Mountain News Speakout that is well worth the read whether you are here in Denver or somewhere else.

Well, the mayor's office and City Council have decided enough is enough and it's time to get rid of the crafty street hustlers who panhandle and pose such a serious threat to the health, safety and well-being of the citizenry. This of course will be just the first step toward pushing the least of these off the streets and just in time for Christmas, too.

Perhaps the city can get a Homeland Security grant to purchase an armored personnel carrier with a water cannon and then they can simply wash these vagrants right off the street. The Denver newspapers would probably like to see the streets cleaned up just in time to open their shiny new office building at Broadway and Colfax Avenue. The Downtown Denver Partnership/Business Improvement District certainly can't wait to get the ball rolling so they can push for enforcement and get these bums out of sight as soon as possible. After all, they bought and paid for the new ordinances.

You would think that panhandling is the most pressing issue the city is facing today. Not the 67 percent high school dropout rate among our adolescents, teen pregnancy, the 67 percent drop in arrests for sexual assaults, child obesity patterns, the 35 percent drop in overall arrests for crime or the city's budget shortfall.

Read On

Bob has updated Thingamablog once again.

You ask what is Thingamablog:

Thingamablog is a cross-platform, standalone blogging application that makes authoring and publishing your weblogs almost effortless. Unlike most blogging solutions, Thingamablog does NOT require a third-party blogging host, a cgi/php enabled web host, or a MySQL database. In fact, all you need to setup, and manage, a blog with Thingamablog is FTP, SFTP, or network access to a web server.

Thanks for keeping Thingamablog going Bob.

I took these photos today while riding down the Cherry Creek Bike Path to my favorite store.

This next one is from the geese sculpture in Cherry Creek Mall. Only one goose received the Santa Clause Hat.

~~~~~~

I have to say it was a much nicer day today for riding than recent days. Man, a few of those mid-week days where rather chilly rides to work in the early morning. The fingers and toes where not happy campers once I arrived downtown. I must say it was rather hard falling out of bed knowing how cold it was going to be once I wandered outside. This next week is looking much nicer with temps only dropping to the low 20's. A much nicer prospect that those minus 5 to 10 degree mornings of this past week.

I don't know where it is from, but it is a goody.

This is from a recent email sent to my by a concerned friend.

I am writing you on a matter of utmost urgency. At this moment Sen. John McCain is in negotiations with ranking members of the Armed Service Committee who want to re-work the McCain Amendment to ban TORTURE and water it down so the United State Government can continue to torture, murder and otherwise mistreat human persons with impunity.

The McCain Amendment bans cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of human persons. As a matter of policy the US Government has sanctioned and endorsed with zeal the use of torture violating every treaty we are a signatory to.

It is a national disgrace and to add egregious insult to injury the Administration and GOP leadership are now trying to undo what our elected representatives voted to make law in a bi-partisan 90-9 vote to ban torture which was a stern rebuke to the Administration and its policies.

It is imperative to the future of our Nation, the World, our military and civilian personnel overseas, our children and grandchildren to confront this grave injustice. You can do something right now!

I would encourage first to read the press release below which summerizes this Amendment, and its provisions, and then make an informed decision. If you would take a few minutes today to pick up the phone and call the ranking members of the Armed Services Committed and forcefully voice your support of the McCain Amendment banning torture you would be taking a stand for humanity.

Carl Levin the ranking Democrat is under great pressure and so is John McCain. Call their office and express your support for their courage and leadership. The people doing the bidding for the Administration are:
Sen. John Warner R-VA
Rep. Duncan Hunter R-CA

I am not sure where Rep. Ike Skelton D-MO is on the issue and his office could not tell me. I am getting the sense he may be for water down the McCain Amendment.

If you would take time to call these representatives and your congressional representatives in your district it would be a great service to our Nation and Humanity.

The press release:

STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN STATEMENT ON DETAINEE AMENDMENTS ON (1) THE ARMY FIELD MANUAL AND (2) CRUEL, INHUMANE, DEGRADING TREATMENT Amendment To The Defense Authorization Bill For Immediate Release Friday, Nov 04, 2005   The following is a statement delivered by Senator John McCain: "Mr. President, I rise to offer an amendment that would (1) establish the Army Field Manual as the uniform standard for the interrogation of Department of Defense detainees and (2) prohibit cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of persons in the detention of the U.S. government. Mr. President, this amendment is identical to the one added by a 90-9 vote to the Defense Department Appropriations bill. Because of the extraordinary support for this legislation and its importance to our men and women in uniform, it is imperative that these provisions remain on the appropriations measure, which is now in conference. While I am now offering this amendment to the authorization bill in order to preserve all legislative options, I expect no one to argue that these critical provisions should thus be struck from the appropriations bill. They should not be removed from the appropriations bill; they should stay on that “must-pass” measure to ensure their earliest enactment into law. On that bill, the provisions won the votes of 46 Republican senators and 44 Democrats. In addition, I understand, a clear majority in the House supports these provisions, wants to see them remain intact, and wishes to have them remain on the appropriations measure. I commend Congressman Murtha for his leadership and efforts to date to offer a motion to instruct conferees to keep this amendment intact without modification. I would hope that no one seeks procedural maneuvers to thwart overwhelming majorities in both chambers. Let me be clear, Mr. President, a bicameral, bipartisan majority in support of this amendment will prevail. Even if the will of the majority is thwarted this month, if it is thwarted next month, it will not be denied indefinitely. If necessary, and I sincerely hope it is not, I and the co-sponsors of this amendment will seek to add it to every piece of important legislation voted on in the Senate until the will of a substantial bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress prevails. Let no one doubt our determination. Mr. President, to fight terrorism we need intelligence. That much is obvious. What should also be obvious is that the intelligence we collect must be reliable and acquired humanely, under clear standards understood by all our fighting men and women. To do differently not only offends our values as Americans, but undermines our war effort, because abuse of prisoners harms – not helps – us in the war on terror. First, subjecting prisoners to abuse leads to bad intelligence, because under torture a detainee will tell his interrogator anything to make the pain stop. Second, mistreatment of our prisoners endangers U.S. troops who might be captured by the enemy – if not in this war, then in the next. And third, prisoner abuses exact on us a terrible toll in the war of ideas, because inevitably these abuses become public. When they do, the cruel actions of a few darken the reputation of our country in the eyes of millions. American values should win against all others in any war of ideas, and we can’t let prisoner abuse tarnish our image. And yet reports of detainee abuse continue to emerge, in large part because of confusion in the field as to what is permitted and what is not. This amendment would go a long way toward clearing up the confusion. Army Field Manual The first part of this amendment would establish the Army Field Manual as the uniform standard for the interrogation of Department of Defense detainees. The Army Field Manual and its various editions have served America well, through wars against both regular and irregular foes. It embodies the values Americans have embraced for generations, while preserving the ability of our interrogators to extract critical intelligence from ruthless foes. Never has this been more important than today, in the midst of the war on terror. This amendment would establish the Army Field Manual as the standard for interrogation of all detainees held in DOD custody. The Manual has been developed by the Executive Branch for its own uses, and a new edition, written to take into account the needs of the war on terror and with a new classified annex, is due to be issued soon. My amendment would not set the Field Manual in stone – it could be changed at any time. The advantage of setting a standard for interrogation based on the Field Manual is to cut down on the significant level of confusion that still exists with respect to which interrogation techniques are allowed. Confusion about the rules results in abuses in the field. We need a clear, simple, and consistent standard, and we have it in the Army Field Manual on Interrogation. That’s not just my opinion, but that of many more distinguished military minds than mine, including General Colin Powell, General Joseph Hoar, General John Shalikashvili, RADM John Hutson, and RADM Don Guter. These and other distinguished officers believe that the abuses at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and elsewhere took place in part because our soldiers received ambiguous instructions, which in some cases authorized treatment that went beyond what the Field Manual allows, and that, had the Manual been followed across the board, we could have avoided the prisoner abuse scandal. Mr. President, wouldn’t any of us do whatever we could to have prevented that? By enacting this amendment, our service members can follow the Manual consistently from now on. Our troops deserve no less. Cruel, Inhumane, Degrading Treatment The second part of this amendment is a prohibition against cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. If that doesn’t sound new, that’s because it’s not – the prohibition has been a longstanding principle in both law and policy in the United States. To mention just a few examples, this prohibition is contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the U.S. is a signatory; and the binding Convention Against Torture, negotiated by the Reagan administration and ratified by the Senate. Nevertheless, the administration has held that the prohibition does not legally apply to foreigners held overseas. They can, apparently, be treated inhumanely. This means that America is the only country in the world that asserts a legal right to engage in cruel and inhumane treatment. What this also means is that confusion about the rules becomes rampant again. With this simple amendment, we can restore clarity on a simple and fundamental question: Does America treat people inhumanely? My answer is no, and from all I’ve seen, America’s answer has always been no. I’d note for my colleagues’ consideration that the State of Israel, no stranger to terrorist attacks, has declared cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment illegal. In 1999 the Israeli Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision to this effect that contained words we may wish to reflect on today. “A democratic, freedom-loving society,” the court wrote, “does not accept that investigators use any means for the purpose of uncovering the truth. The rules pertaining to investigations are important to a democratic state. They reflect its character.” Mr. President, let there be no question about America’s character. In deciding these rules, each member of this body has a vital role. Under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, the Congress has the responsibility for making “rules concerning captures on land and water.” Not the executive branch, not the courts, but Congress. Our brave men and women in the field need clarity. America needs to show the world that the terrible photos and stories of prison abuse are a thing of the past. Let’s step up to this responsibility and speak clearly on this critical issue. We should do it not because we wish to coddle terrorists. We should do it not because we view them as anything but evil and terrible. We should do it, Mr. President, because we are Americans, and because we hold ourselves to humane standards of treatment of people no matter how evil or terrible they may be. America stands for a moral mission, one of freedom and democracy and human rights at home and abroad. We are better than these terrorists, and we will we win. I have said it before but it bears repeating: The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights. They don’t deserve our sympathy. But this isn’t about who they are. This is about who we are. These are the values that distinguish us from our enemies, and we can never, never allow our enemies to take those values away."

(AP) In a year filled with political wrangling, natural disasters and pop culture curiosities, Americans turned to Merriam-Webster to help define it all.

Filibuster. Refugee. Tsunami. Each was among the dictionary publisher's 10 most frequently looked-up words among some 7 million users of its online site.

But topping the list is a word that some say gives insight into the country's collective concern about its values: Integrity.

Read On

So the figures are in and the 12 days of Christmas cost has gone up 6.08% to $18,348.87 for this year. Did you save enough money this year to get your true love everything on the list?

A Christmas Quiz

© Joe Heller - 12.12.2005

More Peace On Earth Christmas cartoons

On this date, December 15th, in 1791 the first 10 admendments to the U. S. Constitution, collectively know as the Bill of Rights, went into effect after being radified by Virginia.

Yesterday the House of Representatives GOP leaders spent the better part of an hour debating the "attack" on Christmas. A resolution was brought forth from Virginia Rep. Jo Ann Davis to protect the symbols and traditions of Christmas for those who celebrate it. Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Mich., and dean of the House, joined with a parody of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" that mocked the resolution's priorities at a time of GOP-led tax cuts for the wealthy, war in Iraq and rising fuel prices.

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the House,
no bills were passed `bout which Fox News could grouse.
Tax cuts for the wealthy were passed with great cheer,
so vacations in St. Barts soon should be near.

Katrina kids were all nestled snug in motel beds,
while visions of school and home danced in their heads.
In Iraq, our soldiers need supplies and a plan,
and nuclear weapons are being built in Iran.

Gas prices shot up, consumer confidence fell.
Americans feared we were in a fast track to ..... well.
Wait, we need a distraction, something divisive and wily,
a fabrication straight from the mouth of O'Reilly.

We will pretend Christmas is under attack,
hold a vote to save it, then pat ourselves on the back.
Silent Night, First Noel, Away in the Manger,
Wake up Congress, they're in no danger.

This time of year, we see Christmas everywhere we go,
From churches to homes to schools and, yes, even Costco.
What we have is an attempt to divide and destroy
when this is the season to unite us with joy.

At Christmastime, we're taught to unite.
We don't need a made-up reason to fight.
So on O'Reilly, on Hannity, on Coulter and those right-wing blogs.
You should sit back and relax, have a few egg nogs.

'Tis the holiday season; enjoy it a pinch.
With all our real problems, do we really need another Grinch?
So to my friends and my colleagues, I say with delight,
a Merry Christmas to all, and to Bill O'Reilly, happy holidays.
Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas.

Oh, and Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, a New York Democrat who is Jewish, criticized Davis' unwillingness to add the traditions of Kwanzaa, Ramadan and Hanukkah to her resolution and asked whether it might elevate one set of religious symbols over another or make them "more official." I quess only Christian holidays need to be protected.

Reuters:

A group of U.S. senators, demanding increased protection of civil liberties, defied President George W. Bush on Friday by blocking renewal of the USA Patriot Act, a centerpiece of his war on terrorism.

A showdown bid to end debate and move to passage of renewal legislation fell eight votes short of the needed 60 in the 100-member Senate. The vote was 52-47, with a handful of Republicans joining most Democrats in a procedural roadblock.

Read On

More to follow soon.

~ Update ~

This is from an email a concerned friend sent me today about this important event affecting our civil liberties.

Five Republican senators backed the filibuster because of their opposition to Patriot Act in its current form. This is serious business folks. It is important for us to contact our representatives and voice our views and to call the Republican senators who voted with democrats and thank them for their courage today. They are no doubt taking a lot of heat from their leadership. It is also crucial to stay vigilant on this matter because its going to get intense next week. Our representatives and those senators who are standing firm on this most critical legislation need to hear from us. We make a difference. Our voice counts. We can and are effecting the decisions that Congress makes.

The Republican senators who have courageously backed the filibuster due to their opposition to the bill were Chuck Hagel (Neb.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), John Sununu (N.H.) and Larry Craig (Idaho). It is also important to contact Democrats Tim Johnson (S.D.) and Ben Nelson (Neb.) and ask them to explain why they voted in favor of Patriot Act today. While were at it, we should call Sen. Jay Rockefeller D-WV and Sen. Pat Roberts R-KS and ask them to explain the presidents secret order to spy on us. They no doubt were aware of it as co-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

I encourage all of you to contact these representatives and either thank them for their diligence in protecting our civil rights or ask them why they do not care about them. I have.

Chuck Hagel
Lisa Murkowski
John Sununu
Larry Craig

Tim Johnson
Ben Nelson

Jay Rockefeller
Pat Roberts

© Scott Stantis - 12.20.2005

© Scott Stantis - 12.22.2005

© Sean Delonas