Topozone Maps

Topozone is a great place to get free maps, even if they aren't completely up to date (my road is not shown on this map). Question though. Isn't it dangerous to homeland security to have this service freely available on the Internets?

The British Hate Us

According to a recent poll the British now hate Americans.

People in Britain view the United States as a vulgar, crime-ridden society obsessed with money and led by an incompetent president whose Iraq policy is failing, according to a newspaper poll.

But let's point out a couple of things:

1) Almost half of voting Americans (me included) voted against (twice) our idiot president
2) Your PM, Tony Blair, was a huge enabling force for GW
3) More than half of Americans now believe GW is an idiot
4) Your PM, Tony Blair, still is enabling Bush

SL National Guard Patrols Arizona Border

Soldiers from the Saranac Lake based National Guard are being sent to Arizona to help protect our country from illegal Mexican immigrants. It will be good desert training for them in case they are sent to some other part of the world in the near future.

Is there something else our country can do to stop illegal Mexican immigrants? Well, making sure there aren't any jobs for them would be one solution. Punish the companies that are hiring illegal immigrants or pass a law making temporary workers legal. Better yet, pay a living wage for the jobs illegal immigrants are currently taking, them maybe Americans will take them. How about pressuring or helping Mexico to improve their economy. In Mexico the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer, kind of like in the USA. NAFTA was supposed to help, however:

Mexico has shed nearly 30% of its farm jobs since the trade pact went into effect, according to government statistics. That translates into 2.8 million farmers and millions more of their dependents fleeing their fields. Some have taken subsistence jobs in Mexico's cities, but many have relocated to the U.S. July 1, 2006 LA Times

Illegal Mexican workers send between 6-8 billion dollars back to Mexico's economy every year. It's the third biggest legitimate economic force in the country after oil and tourism. Mexico's disputed Presidential winner of the recent election will be decided in an election court by Sept. 6th. The new President will decide how the economic future of Mexico will proceed.

The contest pits leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who wants to boost social spending and rethink the NAFTA relationship, against conservative Felipe Calderon, who wants to maintain Mexico's policy on free trade and open the country's state-controlled energy sector to private investment.

American Civil Liberties Union

I've never understood the basis for the hatred of the ACLU by conservatives. I'm not a card carrying member because I'm too cheap to pay $20 to join. But why would you be opposed to an organization whose purpose is to defend the 'Bill of Rights'?

The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees:
Your First Amendment rights-freedom of speech, association and assembly. Freedom of the press, and freedom of religion supported by the strict separation of church and state.
Your right to equal protection under the law - equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin.
Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

Alot of opposition to the ACLU comes from so called 'Christians'. The ACLU opposes Christian values. They say Christians are losing their Constitutionally protected rights to practice their religion. I don't see it. I was brought up a Catholic and as far as I can see I can still practice Catholicism if I wish. How does the ACLU stop me? Another argument made by conservatives is that the ACLU is funded by taxpayers. This is partially true but it's because of the Civil Rights Attorneys Fees Awards Act of 1976.

b) Attorney's fees

In any action or proceeding to enforce a provision of sections 1981, 1981a, 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1986 of this title, title IX of Public Law 92-318 [20 U.S.C.A. § 1681 et seq.], the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 [42 U.S.C.A. § 2000bb et seq.], title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C.A. § 2000d et seq.], or section 13981 of this title,, [FN1] the court, in its discretion, may allow the prevailing party, other than the United States, a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the costs, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer's judicial capacity such officer shall not be held liable for any costs, including attorney's fees, unless such action was clearly in excess of such officer's jurisdiction.

Of course 'activist judges' are on the side of the ACLU unless they aren't and then they aren't 'activist judges'. Here is a seemingly non-partisan website that discusses the pros and cons of the ACLU. Here is a list of 75 years of ACLU highlights.

And then there is the speech in 'An American President', one of my favorites.

For the record, yes, I am a card carrying member of the ACLU, but the more important question is "Why aren't you, Bob?" Now this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question, why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the constitution?

Top Science Blogs - Nature

Nature has published the top 50 science blogs. My personal favorite pharyngula (Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal)
is number 1.

There are two reasons I like pharyngula so much. First, the author is an unapologetic atheist and is very good at explaining why. Second, he really knows how to take on the anti-evolutionists (creationists) in words even they could understand if they read his blog.

More than you want to know about John Sweeney

HERE. NY 20 can do much better!

Pictures

Mt. Baker from my deck. See the little people up there?


A small, but well worn Luna moth.



Lot's of pine cones this year.

NY Republicans Run for Hillary's Senate Seat

Yes, there are actually two Republicans that will face off in a primary for the honor of running against one of the most hated Democrats in the USA (after Kennedy). KT McFarland, an ex-Reagan appointed pentagon official and John Spencer, former Mayor of Yonkers. Are they talking about what will happen in Iraq? Social Security? WOT? National Debt? Health Insurance?

You've got to be kidding! They are talking about sex and morals of course. Who is a bigamist with illegitimate children? Who got abused by their father? Who is a psycho that sees spying helicopters? Of course you have to 'swiftboat' the Vietnam War veterans military record too. That goes without saying now days with Republicans. Read about it here.

Pitiful.

Tracking the ISS and Space Shuttle

You can track the International Space Station, as well as many other satellites, in real time here. You actually see a map of the Earth and the satellite track in real time. It's amazing how fast it's moving. Whatever did we do before the Internets?

Mr. Viagra Speaks Out Against Terrorist Loving Liberals

What a surprise! Rush 'Viagra boy' Limbaugh is claiming that liberals are celebrating a recent ruling by our conservative Republican Supreme Court. I guess some people just don't believe in the rule of law. When will he start calling this Supreme Court a bunch of activist judges?

Why Does the Supreme Court Hate America?

Todays ruling that military commissions are unlawful; also say

1)That the President's conduct is subject to the limitations of statute and treaty

2)That Congress's enactments are best construed to require compliance with the international laws of armed conflict, absent contrary legislative direction.

3)That Common Article 3 of Geneva applies as a matter of treaty obligation to the conflict against Al Qaeda.

Common Article 3 provides that detained persons "shall in all circumstances be treated humanely," and that "[t]o this end," certain specified acts "are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever"—including "cruel treatment and torture," and "outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment."

More here if you care. You can see why Bush doesn't want any of his 'new powers' to be reviewed by even a conservative Supreme Court.

Trent Lott says ruling is 'ridiculous' and that our enemies are laughing at us.

Giant Bat-Eating Centipede

Enjoy. Sleep well.

N. Korea Missile Launch

Remember 10 days ago how N. Korea was going to launch an ICBM that threatened the USA? How we 'activated' our missile defense system and were warning Kim Il-Sung that he was in deep sh#t if he launched his missile. Funny how rapidly that story disappeared off the radar. Now it seems the launch isn't so imminent after all. Story buried on A9 of the New York Times here. A good excuse to attack yet another country gone by the wayside. More here at defensetech.org.

NYC Freedom Tower Redesign

The antenna raises the building from 1,338 feet -- the height of the original World Trade Center's 110-story twin towers -- to the full 1,776 feet.

Prosecute the NYT for Treason!

GW Bush, some of our congressmen and several talking heads seem to think the NYT has committed treason for reporting certain stories. This is a very serious charge and deserves investigation. Bush has an obligation to start a Justice Department investigation. The FBI should have been informed immediately. If they are so certain that the NYT committed treason, why aren't they doing any of these things? What about the other papers that reported the stories?

It couldn't be just because they are scapegoating could it? Naaaaa, not this administration. Bush looks, sounds, talks and acts like a two-bit dictator.

Read the Devils Diary

Today at Jesus was a liberal blog. A sample below:

I (the devil) boasted that I could get humans to kill each other off like flies, trash the planet and do it all in the name of the Almighty. And I could do it all without having any physical power or substance myself. All I asked was to be to have access to their beliefs. Based upon my analysis of humans, I didn’t need to commit any physical acts myself. I knew that humans would gladly do my bidding, especially in the name of God. What I couldn’t get them to do out of pure greed I could get them to do after justifying it by saying it was what their Maker wanted.

Wanna See Earth Destroyed?　

Watch This.

Question

Can you name a coke sniffing deserter who likes to play dress up?

Flag Burning Amendment Fails

Go here to see who the America-hating senators are and a few who are up for re-election and have to vote yes (assholes). Why not just try to get rid of the entire Bill of Rights and have done with it. After all, our soldiers fight for a flag not a Constitution.

While you're at it, will you please bring back the Alien and Sedition Act so we can prosecute those damn unpatriotic newspapers. Can't be having internal dissent while protecting our freedoms.

Read about how much the Senators really cared about the issue here. They couldn't even find members willing to come to the floor and talk about the issue.

Out on a lethargic Senate floor, both sides were struggling to find speakers to fill the time for debate. Starting at 11 a.m., the lawmakers killed time with five quorum calls as they hunted for somebody to take the floor; one quorum call ended only when the senators decided it was time for lunch.