Bob Morris @ Feb 28th 2003 13:07 - Category: Unfiled ;
The File Extension source
Hey geeks and programmers, you have a file with a weird extension and you’re clueless what it could be? Check the File Extension source, where everything is neatly alphabetized and documented.
A potential client just emailed me a file with a .ZL9 extension. Ten seconds on this site gave me the answer (ZoneAlarm Mailsafe renames an EXE to a ZL9).
Bob Morris @ Feb 28th 2003 13:00 - Category: Unfiled ;
Big Brother comes to the airports
“Delta Air Lines will begin testing a new government plan for air security next month that will check background information and assign a threat level to everyone who buys a ticket for a commercial flight.
“Mr. Morris, please step aside, the computer tells us you are a Code Purple.”, “Purple? I was Saffron last week, what happened??”, “I’m sorry, we are not at liberty to divulge that information”
Transportation officials say a contractor will be picked soon to build the nationwide computer system, which will check such things as credit reports and bank account activity and compare passenger names with those on government watch lists.
Credit reports? If I miss a Visa payment does that mean I can’t fly? And what in the name of Gumby do credit records have to do with terrorism?
“This system threatens to create a permanent blacklisted underclass of Americans who cannot travel freely,” said Katie Corrigan, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union.”
I’ll going to take a crazy mad guess here and say that this system could easily be abused so that those with, oh, antiwar views, will find they can no longer fly.
Bob Morris @ Feb 28th 2003 10:52 - Category: Unfiled ;
Chicago prisoners terrorized by guards
From the Chicago Tribune, who broke the story
“There’s only one thing more outrageous than reports that a select squad of 40 Cook County Jail guards systematically beat, kicked, stomped and terrorized inmates with unmuzzled dogs one night in 1999.
It’s that the allegations come as no surprise.”
“Seventeen months after a team of 40 guards at Cook County Jail allegedly terrorized and beat inmates, another group of guards punched and kicked five other inmates while they were shackled, according to two former jail guards.”
This is torture, plain and simple - there’s no other word for it. The Chicago Tribune is calling for a federal special prosecutor.
Bob Morris @ Feb 28th 2003 08:35 - Category: Unfiled ;
What will happen when the bombing starts
First off, this isn’t a war. Iraq hasn’t attacked us. We will be launching an unprovoked attack against them.
Given that millions marched across the globe on the 15th, millions will no doubt turn out to protest when the bombing starts. Here in L.A., the primary location will be the federal building in Westwood. and there will be thousands of people there.
Protests are legal without a permit as long as you stay on the sidewalk. There will probably be way too many people for that. Expect spontaneous marches without benefit of permit. Multiply that by hundreds, if not thousands of locations across the country and planet, and you begin to understand the power of what will be happening that day, and on the days that follow. Massive, unplanned, leaderless demonstrations will be happening on an unprecedented scale worldwide when the Iraq invasion starts. And they will keep on happening too.
Yes. This is new, We’ve never been here before.
Bob Morris @ Feb 28th 2003 08:34 - Category: Unfiled ;
Bob Morris @ Feb 27th 2003 00:51 - Category: Unfiled ;
Lion dung & the coming war
A railroad in Japan, which had a problem with wild deer getting on the tracks and causing accidents, has found a solution. They spread lion dung on the tracks! The deers stay away. End of deer problem.
While, as a Green, I do appreciate the both the ecological sustainability of this approach and the lack of adverse environmental impact, I am thankful that my job title is not “Lion Dung Spreader”.
Some points to ponder; as there are no lions in Japan, how do the deer know? What tells their little deer brain that this particular piece of dung is from a large toothy clawed creature who wishes to have them for breakfast - especially considering they have never seen a lion?
When a Dung Tosser goes home after an arduous day of hurling dung (”Hey Frank, how many kilos did you toss today?”), do his cats and dogs flee in terror thinking him, by his scent, to be a lion? Does his wife join in with the tossing, and toss him out? Or maybe hose him down in the driveway? Yes, I am assuming males, not females, would be Dung Tossers. This is a guy thing, like beer can pyramids.
This could also be a swell way for gardeners to keep deer out of their gardens. Y’know, you try to grow some veggies and herbs, and those damn deer gobble them up first. Stock up on lion dung! Spread it around!
However, were thousands, or perhaps millions of gardeners all demand lion dung at once, this would certainly lead to a serious worldwide shortage. People would start hoarding, maybe a futures market would emerge. Governments would become involved. Once starving African countries would become wealthy overnight, as they would control the now crucial Lion Dung market.
It could happen.
However, this country will be at war within days. So let’s have a giggle while we can.
Things will be getting real serious real quick. There’s already spectacular amounts of bull dung emerging from D.C., soon to be vast torrents no doubt. There’s also a powerful worldwide peace movement. As the NY Times said recently, we, the peace movement, are the other superpower on the planet.
When the attacks start, expect massive spontaneous turnouts across the globe. This is something new, a huge leaderless worldwide movement in direct opposition to those in high places who lust for empire.
This is not business as usual, these are historic times. Join in.
Bob Morris @ Feb 27th 2003 00:47 - Category: Unfiled ;
Wholly War
From Progressive Review
“On our main web page we show a miniature of the New Yorker’s latest cover which features a menacing Muslim gentleman in camouflage examining a route map on a subway.
One wonders whether the New Yorker would depict a similarly threatening caricature of an orthodox Jew or a black militant - or is liberal tolerance, like the Constitution, just another set of rules that are dispensed with in times of trouble?”
Bob Morris @ Feb 27th 2003 00:43 - Category: Unfiled ;
Kucinich gets body-bagged
Did Dennis Kucinich play the race card in a ‘72 election - ethnic whites against blacks?
The respected Talking Points Memo (TPM) explains
“Basically, in the early days — before he was running citywide, let alone nationwide — Kucinich’s political schtick was posing as the champion of the ‘forgotten’ white ethnic voters over against the rising force of black political power. Sort of a great white hope type, or great Slavic hope, if you will.”
TPM points to a Cleveland Today article from 1972 detailing how Kucinich did this.
Within the past few days Kucinich has gotten seriously whacked by those very progressives he wishes to appeal to. First was when he announced he was now pro-choice after years being pro-life. While Lefties are certainly mostly pro-choice, many thought Kucinich proclaiming this about 0.01 seconds after announcing for President was a teensy bit on the suspect side. Yes he’s been indicating this change since October, but maybe that was just part of the plan.
Now this. Someone did considerable digging to find this article. And it is damning. Mr. Progressive playing the race card, even if it was thirty years ago. More than a few Leftie / progressive weblogs (Atrios, DailyKos) now say they have serious problems with Kucinich.
He better do some damage control fast.
Someone is trying to bodybag Kucinich. His actions have given them ample opportunity. Still, he’s appears to be a genuine progressive, maybe even radical, and he is a member of the House. Let’s not toss him off the cliff quite yet. But I am beginning to wonder.
Bob Morris @ Feb 26th 2003 13:37 - Category: Unfiled ;
US ‘virtual march’ over Iraq a huge success!
From the BBC:
“Thousands of anti-war activists have been bombarding the White House and senators with phone calls and e-mails in a virtual protest over the Iraq crisis.
Backed by a number of celebrities, volunteers jammed switchboards in Washington DC in an effort to force US politicians to think again over the prospect of war in the Gulf.
Organisers online democracy group MoveOn say more than 250,000 people signed up to take part in the protest and that many more joined in during Wednesday.”
As of 4:30 PM Eastern Time, over 375,000 calls and faxes have been sent!
Let’s see. Figure 8 hours (8:30 AM - 4:30 PM). Hmmm, 60 seconds in a minute * 60 minutes in an hour * 8 hours = 28,000 seconds. Divide that into 375,000 calls and faxes and - that’s more than 13 per second!
Bob Morris @ Feb 26th 2003 09:33 - Category: Unfiled ;
When the lies stop working
MR. FLEISCHER: This is a time — no, the President is not offering quid pro quos. This is a time for nations to do what they estimate is the right thing to do to promote the peace.
Q: — the French press is quoting actually two different diplomats from the United States State Department that — they’re highlighting that the United States is giving some sort of agreements or benefits to Colombia — and other non-members of the Security Council –
MR. FLEISCHER: I haven’t seen the story. And you already have the answer, about what this will be decided on. But think about the implications of what you’re saying. You’re saying that the leaders of other nations are buyable. And that is not an acceptable proposition.
(Laughter.)
Bob Morris @ Feb 26th 2003 09:29 - Category: Unfiled ;
To google or not to google
“Google’s trademark counsel sending out dumb lawyer-letters over “to google”.
Google’s trademark counsel has begun sending lawyer-letters to people who use “to google” as a verb, asking them to to take down or revise such references. I’ve googled many factoids about this in the past, being the good blogger that I am, and printed them out so I could xerox them for my friends. That’s all I have to say for now, since I have to run out and buy some kleenex and aspirin, and trademark lawyers can kiss my ass. Link Discuss (via Kottke) [Boing Boing Blog]”
Bob Morris @ Feb 26th 2003 08:22 - Category: Unfiled ;
A truckdriving poet
Daniel Pino, a Sacramento poet and truck driver, has a website of thoughful writings about peace, unions, and what what’s happening in this country.
His writings include:
The collapse of Consolidated Freightways
“The full liquidation of Consolidated Freightways is nearly complete. It was absolutely brilliant. And on this Labor Day The International Brotherhood of Teamsters got caught sleeping on this one. Corporate America just walked over the grave of 15,500 unionized jobs, and the American media barely gave it a nod.”
Lower middle class working people
“Of all the hundreds of teamsters I know and have worked closely with, which is almost exclusively lowermiddle income unionized labor, I’m not sure any of them have an ounce of trust with respect to the political leaderships in America today. Some vote, many don’t even bother with it. Within their grammar the every day use of the word ‘politician’ has taken on a negative connotation of extremes.”
Bob Morris @ Feb 26th 2003 08:17 - Category: Unfiled ;
Supremes finds prosecutors acted with ‘race bias’
An African-American man’s murder conviction has been thrown into doubt after the <U.S.> Supreme Court Tuesday found Texas prosecutors used “race bias” during jury selection.
Clarence Thomas was the sole dissenting vote. Go figure.
Bob Morris @ Feb 26th 2003 08:16 - Category: Unfiled ;
Stark warning for U.S. military
“The head of Iraq’s largest opposition group warned the United States on Tuesday that its military presence in post-war Iraq would not be welcome, and that any attempt to install a Pentagon general in Baghdad could be met with a “religious war.” Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim told MSNBC.com in an interview that Muslim fury over a long-term American occupation of Iraq would destabilize the Middle East.”
No kidding…
Bob Morris @ Feb 26th 2003 08:14 - Category: Unfiled ;
How the news will be censored in this war
“A new CNN system of “script approval” – the iniquitous instruction to reporters that they have to send all their copy to anonymous officials in Atlanta to ensure it is suitably sanitised – suggests that the Pentagon and the Department of State have nothing to worry about. Nor do the Israelis.”
Unbelievable. Unknown people, far from the actual news event, will censor, edit, and spin the news. A sad end to a once great news network. Can what they “report” about the coming war even be considered news?
Bob Morris @ Feb 25th 2003 09:31 - Category: Unfiled ;
“Stupid White Men” Wins British book award!!!
“Michael Moore was named surprise winner of Britain’s Book of the Year award Monday for “Stupid White Men” — a satirical anti-war attack on President Bush.
“It looks like a very strong anti-war vote both from insiders in the book business and the public,” awards organizer Merric Davidson said in a statement.”
If the U.S. is so rightwing, as Fox “News” keeps insisting, why has Stupid White Men been atop the best seller lists for months? And why has Moore’s movie, Bowling for Columbine broken all box office records for documentaries?
Also of note; Howard Zinnn’s, A People’s History of the United States 1492 to present has now sold over one million copies!
Bob Morris @ Feb 25th 2003 09:21 - Category: Unfiled ;
Those bongs could be made by terrorists
“Now I know for a fact that Ashcroft is crazy. With all the problems in the world, they go after people who sell hash pipes and bongs. Geez Louise.” [Scripting News]
Bob Morris @ Feb 25th 2003 08:42 - Category: Unfiled ;
Bob Morris @ Feb 25th 2003 08:40 - Category: Unfiled ;
A friend ponders
“When and where do you think the conflagration will start?
North Korea, Iraq?
Two news iems -
North Korea launches missile into sea.
Saddam won’t destroy missles, wants to debate Bush on live tv.
The second one sounds like a scene out of Saturday Night Live during the funny years.”
And launching a missle into the ocean sounds like a Monty Python sketch.
Bob Morris @ Feb 25th 2003 08:38 - Category: Unfiled ;
Meet Howard Dean
He’s not Green, or even a Liberal, says CounterPunch, who offers considerable proof.
Bob Morris @ Feb 25th 2003 08:36 - Category: Unfiled ;
U.N. inspectors call U.S. tips ‘garbage’
“So frustrated have the inspectors become that one source has referred to the U.S. intelligence they’ve been getting as “garbage after garbage after garbage.” In fact, Phillips says the source used another cruder word. The inspectors find themselves caught between the Iraqis, who are masters at the weapons-hiding shell game, and the United States, whose intelligence they’ve found to be circumstantial, outdated or just plain wrong.”
Bob Morris @ Feb 24th 2003 09:01 - Category: Unfiled ;
John Quincy Adams on U.S. foreign policy
Excerpts from Secretary of State John Quincy Adams speech to the House of Representatives, July 4, 1821.
Would it be that what he said then was still true today.
“She <The U.S.> has, in the lapse of nearly half a century, without a single exception, respected the independence of other nations while asserting and maintaining her own.
She has abstained from interference in the concerns of others, even when conflict has been for principles to which she clings, as to the last vital drop that visits the heart.
Wherever the standard of freedom and Independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will her heart, her benedictions and her prayers be.
But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.
She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.
She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.
She will commend the general cause by the countenance of her voice, and the benignant sympathy of her example.
She well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, and ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom.
The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force….
She might become the dictatress of the world. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit…. “
Bob Morris @ Feb 24th 2003 08:59 - Category: Unfiled ;
The fiends are everywhere
A Naval Commander fears terrorist attacks in Riverside CA, as well as scary monsters under his bed at night no doubt.
Should we tell him that Riverside is, in fact, seriously inland. Further, can we take seriously a Naval Commander who apparently can not find the ocean?
From the Inland Anti-Empire
“‘There might be local people in Riverside aligned with Islamic fundamentalists who would want to attack us,’ said Commander Jeff Taylor.
Yes, you read that right. The biggest fear is not an attack from Osama bin Laden, but a fear from Muslims in Riverside. That is what Commander Taylor, the Public Information Officer for the Norco center, is telling us. Those nasty Muslims up in Riverside.
I couldn’t believe it either, so I called up Stefanie Frith, the reporter who wrote the article. She confirmed that the quote was accurate — and that the supposed threat from Riverside really was taken seriously by the Navy.”
I asked Kynn Bartlett, who publish Inland Anti-Empire, about the antiwar movement there. He replied;
“It’s getting up steam — don’t know if you caught it before, but up in San Bernardino, a city council member introduced an anti-war resolution, and it was promptly tabled by the other members. The next day, the city council member had her life threatened by someone with a rifle.”
Update: I have been chastized, properly it appears, for my flippant remarks about naval bases not being near oceans:
Um, Bob?
The Naval facility at Norco/Corona is strategically very important. I think it might be a primary target, in old Cold War terms.
Sue
Daughter of Lt Cmdr
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