Updates from September, 2007 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • euicho 11:39 am on 9/23/2007 Permalink | Reply
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    Who Told You These Things? 

    There is a very moving and intelligent article over at thisisby.us that I think everyone should read. It, um, asks some very interesting questions.

    “Who told you this?” I began. “Who told you supporting our troops meant supporting endless war; that disagreeing with our administration’s policies meant turning my back on my country? Who told you that I have to follow our President into the pits of a hell of our own making, never questioning the course though my heart and head scream for sanity? As for our fighting men and women, who told you I’ve no compassion for their sacrifice or respect for their service? As I beg my elected representatives to bring them home, so they might be safe until the day a war of choice becomes a war of necessity – who told you that makes me a traitor?

     

    • B 11:27 am on 9/27/2007 Permalink

      fox news?
      i think thats who told me
      err not told
      more yelled

    • Doody 11:01 pm on 10/9/2007 Permalink

      *in robot voice* I too have been told these things by the Fox News Channel. Not liking war and president is bad.

    • Kev Hamm 11:27 pm on 10/9/2007 Permalink

      it’s not like songs haven’t been written about this as well. Check out the song “They” by Jem (no really) and tell me you aren’t tapping along with it as you get creeped out.

  • euicho 10:47 am on 8/8/2007 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , wiretapping   

    More on Warrantless Wiretapping 

    As if the government didn’t try hard enough to keep us in a state of constant fear, THIS tops almost all (the rest of our civil rights that are currently being violated excluded).

    via Threat Level
    A new law expanding the government’s spying powers gives the Bush Administration a six-month window to install possibly permanent back doors in the nation’s communication networks. The legislation was passed hurriedly by Congress over the weekend and signed into law Sunday by President Bush.
    The bill, known as the Protect America Act, removes the prohibition on warrantless spying on Americans abroad and gives the government wide powers to order communication service providers such as cell phone companies and ISPs to make their networks available to government eavesdroppers.

    Basically, all phone, internet and Voice over IP service providers (including Skype, Google Talk, and Gizmo Project) can now be ordered to put in back door spying measures for the government, all without warrant. I’ll stick to encrypting sensitive emails and using paper for other sensitive data.

     

  • euicho 3:28 pm on 5/30/2007 Permalink | Reply
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    iTunes Plus Revealed 

    Padlock
     

    This February, in what was most definitely a classic hype-producing move, Steve Jobs posted his “Thoughts on Music” essay for all the internet to jabber about. Then in April Apple and EMI announced iTunes would soon be offering tracks to download sans-DRM. Now at last, a giant step forwards in the war against lame copy-protection arrives: iTunes Plus.

    iTunes Plus is the new catalog of EMI tracks, AAC 256kbps encoded, now available for download at a slightly increased $1.39 a track, or the same old 9.99 an album (you should get the album anyways for the artists’ sake, or more importantly go to their concerts and buy their merch!).

    Another very cool addition is the ability to upgrade already-purchased DRM songs to DRM-free versions for 30 cents a pop or $3.00 an album.

    And this isn’t just a meager offering of a few so-so artists. EMI has a slew of big-name bands such as Blur, Coldplay, Dandy Warhols, Everclear, Queen, Radiohead, Rolling Stones, Sigur Ros, and the Chemical Brothers.

    Though this is a dollar-driven move, as it always is, it nevertheless works out very favorably for all the DMCA/restricted rights hating consumers out there.

     
     

  • euicho 10:16 pm on 5/17/2007 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , documentary, health,   

    The Evils of Aspartame or Why You Should Eat Tagatose 

    Do you know what Aspartame is? I knew it was bad for you, but never knew how bad until Amme showed me a documentary called “Sweet Misery”. Sucralose is just as bad as aspartame, and was discovered to be a sweetner when a chemist making pesticide (yes, pesticide!) spilled some on his hand and discovered it tasted sweet. Antifreeze also has this property, and is fatally poisonous.

    Though I am no scientist, this video claims Aspartame was pushed into FDA approval through shady deals and payoffs, and can cause dozens of illnesses, among them brain tumors and Multiple Sclerosis. At the VERY LEAST, it is important to at least consider how safe this chemical is, and whether you should let your loved ones intake it, even if its a a precaution.

    I suggest supporting Tagatose, a functional sweetener that is safe for all diabetics, is 92% as sweet, and has only 38% of the calories.
    (More …)

     

  • euicho 9:20 pm on 4/23/2007 Permalink | Reply
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    Comments from a Pissed-off Soldier 

    Just wanted to share this.

    Also this,
    (requires login, attainable here)

    PS: Forgive the metafilter-style non-descriptive links

     

    • Doody 11:04 pm on 4/23/2007 Permalink

      It is interesting to finally here a soldier’s point of view that has not been edited and watered down to fit on a TV spot.

    • Jesse 8:35 am on 4/25/2007 Permalink

      If it weren’t for the far left the far right wouldn’t have as much support, the hatred the war supporters feel for liberal wackos makes them even more supportive of their leaders. The whole idea that if it pisses off educated liberals it makes the blue collar workers happy. Which is a big theory about why Bush always seems to act like an idiot in public.

  • euicho 4:48 pm on 4/7/2007 Permalink | Reply
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    The Irresponsibility of the Press 

    And yet we wonder why Americans are so ignorant to the rest of the world…

     

  • euicho 12:53 pm on 1/8/2007 Permalink | Reply
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    Dissent 

    We need to get our poor troops out of this war. Luckily, things are coming to a boiling point. See below.
    (More …)

     

    • B 11:27 pm on 1/9/2007 Permalink

      i know the congress isn’t supposed to be considering impeaching bush but it sure would be a good thing. atleast that way we’d gain some popularity with the rest of the world

      course it’s hard to have people like you when you go around bombing them or their neighbors all the time

    • Doody 3:45 pm on 1/10/2007 Permalink

      Yay! For the government!

    • Jesse 3:48 am on 1/14/2007 Permalink

      I dunno B, my neighbors were complaining about how loud my stereo was so I firebombed their car. Now that they are home from the hosptial and their skin grafts took they couldn’t be more agreeable.

  • euicho 6:14 pm on 12/22/2006 Permalink | Reply  

    Nog Fodder 

    Happy Politically Correct Holidays my easily offended and sue-happy fellow americans! Actually I’m pretty sure all of my readers are neither PC, easily offended, or sue-happy, unless sue is the cute girl sitting next to you in the internet cafe, but regardless, as I am currently working on part 2 of the mythbusters goodies post, I thought I’d throw up a link to some fun voting facts to tell your family around the nog bowl:

    20 Amazing Facts About Voting In The United States

    Yes, I do like to cause trouble… ; )

     

    • Jesse 2:05 am on 12/26/2006 Permalink

      Yeah my take on the subject is that all those motherf$#@ing bi#$%es should get the f@#k over it and just realize that the J#w run media loves to fell#te grapef#$it. Political correctness jesuits and f#t fuc#$%rs aren’t just going to up commit suicide, they’ve got to grab the lar#$s and shoot them upp the a@#. Thats how I think we should solve world hunger anyway.

    • Jesse 2:05 am on 12/26/2006 Permalink

      And I might add, f#$k.

    • B 12:17 am on 12/27/2006 Permalink

      that’s right
      you tell everyone how important it is to get out and vote
      especially in those battleground states like ohio with all those electronic voting machines
      cuz everyone vote is possible another one that can get switched to favor the republican (of course only 51% of the time so it still appears close)
      hehe

      atleast we live in a place that loves papertrails

      election day should be a holiday so everyone has a chance to vote and sit around and watch the horrible coverage or like me stay up and watch the states change color to either red of blue on interactive online maps haha

  • euicho 2:53 pm on 11/29/2006 Permalink | Reply  

    Massachusetts v. EPA 

    Finally, the supreme court is hearing it’s first case on global warming. This case is over motor-vehicle emissions, and the scope of the federal Clean Air Act.

    via USA Today
    …The dispute revolves around a part of the Clean Air Act that requires regulation of “any air pollutant” from vehicles that “may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.” The act defines “welfare” to include effects on climate and weather.
    The states say the Clean Air Act plainly authorizes regulation of greenhouse gases and that if the EPA were to step in, it could address “sources responsible for some 60% of this country’s carbon dioxide emissions — 23% from vehicles and the rest from the power plants left unregulated” by the EPA. “We simply want the justices to tell EPA to get it right on the law,” says Lisa Heinzerling, a Georgetown University professor assisting the Massachusetts assistant attorney general.

    Its about time someone forced the EPA to actually protect the environment from greenhouse gasses.

     

    • rps 10:49 am on 11/30/2006 Permalink

      Finally.

      I think the fact that we’ve been able to notice abnormal climate changes in our lifetime says a lot about the state of Earth.

      As always I’m not optimistic about anything coming out of these hearings.

      Maybe now is the time to start building electric cars. Fusion is close. Fission will do until then, and the Fusion reactors can burn the radioactive waste. We really need to move away from fossil fuels.

    • Luke 11:41 pm on 11/30/2006 Permalink

      YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

      But it still is a long road of development ahead. We will reach this goal someday and hopefull be able to repair damage we have made. If our goverment chooses to fund such a program then that would be nice. But with our nations checkbook being streached so much I will be awhile before this is actually a priority.

    • B 11:02 am on 12/10/2006 Permalink

      mmmm electric cars *drooool*

      i can’t wait to see how this case turns out, though its not like i am expecting a lot (it is the supreme court that allowed bush to become president originally)

  • euicho 1:54 pm on 9/18/2006 Permalink | Reply  

    Madrid Fights Unhealthy Weight Epidemic 

    This is really terrific.

    I have to give Madrid major “Props” (as Doody would say), because they’ve stepped up and said “No, we won’t allow these unreallistically, morbidly underweight girls to be flaunted and idolized by impressionable girls and women.”

    Yes, Hollywood is another great offender, but this active step by Madrid’s regional government is a huge step in the right direction for the fashion world, and sets a great example that I hope others will follow.

    I leave you with a hilarious quote by Leonor Perez-Pita:
    “Clothes look much better on a lovely girl than on a clothes hanger”

     

    • Doody 3:11 pm on 9/18/2006 Permalink

      I definitely give that my most prestigious Props award, its good to hear that someone is now actually fighting this. I still think its sad that it is still considered beautiful in a lot of the world.

      Speaking of props though, I have some props to give, but no where to give them, if you catch my drift.

    • euicho 1:27 pm on 9/19/2006 Permalink

      Hahaha, yes doody, i definately know what you mean. What day did you say you are free?

      I’ll start updating the outline today and ill msg the guys to see what days they are free. we’re gonna be back and better than ever !

    • Jesse 9:29 am on 9/26/2006 Permalink

      You can’t spell veluptuos without delicous.

    • euicho 1:52 pm on 9/28/2006 Permalink

      hmmm actually you can. lol

  • euicho 3:32 pm on 8/17/2006 Permalink | Reply
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    Judge orders halt to NSA wiretap program 

    You read correctly Ladies and Gentlemen, someone is actually defending the Constitution!

    Today a Detroit federal judge ordered the Bush administration to halt the NSA’s domestic “eavesdropping” (illegal wiretapping) program. You go Judge Anna Diggs Taylor! Finally someone in the judicial system has stepped forward and said warrantless wiretapping is a major violation of the United States Constitution.

    So sayith Reuters:
    Judge Taylor said the controversial practice of warrantless wiretapping known as the “Terrorist Surveillance Program” violated free speech rights, protections against unreasonable searches and the constitutional check on the power of the presidency.

    Specifically, Judge Taylor ruled that the Bush administration had violated the terms of a 1978 surveillance law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which requires warrants for individual eavesdropping on suspects inside the United States. (swissinfo)

    Thanks to Think Progress who found a copy of the injunction that can be viewed here: 06-10204Injunction

    Today is a good day.

     

    • Bob 5:39 pm on 8/21/2006 Permalink

      And in other news (probably) …

      Adult Oriented Phone Services have recorded a record surge in business since the latest wiretapping program has been found unlawful.

    • Doody 11:20 pm on 8/27/2006 Permalink

      Yeah, well we will see what that will do. Unfortunately in the realm of the World Politique, there is a lot of talk and very little action. Kind of like the UN Sanction on Lebanon, which is just like “uh, hey, could you guys like, stop? Please?” We will see my friend, we will see.

    • Jesse 8:36 pm on 9/5/2006 Permalink

      Are you doubting the government in some way… thats very unamerican. I’m going to have to report you to the FBI.

    • euicho 1:06 pm on 9/6/2006 Permalink

      oh no!!!

      I better go delete all references to hating bush on my blog!
      lol.
      Thats the problem. People don’t realize you can distrust and detest your government while still loving your country. The government doesn’t make a country, the *people* do. (o.o)

  • euicho 5:27 pm on 2/23/2006 Permalink | Reply
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    A Grandson’s stance on Soldiers and Veterans 

    In the past, the American public has misunderstood and mistreated their soldiers, and now those soldiers misunderstand many Americans in return. We should be fighting alongside each other, not against one another. Please read this, Veterans and civilians, Bush supporters and Bush haters. It is one humble man’s feelings on those who fight for America:
    (More …)

     

    • Dad 8:17 pm on 2/24/2006 Permalink

      Thomas.
      This is very powerful and well written. I could not agree with you more. (and I am a registered Republican ) Thanks for sharing your thoughts on a very sensitive and opinionated subject. I applaud you for taking the time to write this.

      Dad

    • Doody 2:20 am on 2/25/2006 Permalink

      I totally here you. I have been saying that from the beginning. Too many times I have heard people say that because I disagree with the war then I can’t support the troops. That logic makes no sense. I don’t support the war, but those guys are over there giving what they’ve got so that I can sit here at my computer at 2AM. I wish them nothing but the best.

    • Nyrath the nearly wise 9:01 am on 3/18/2006 Permalink

      Bravo! Exceedingly cogent and well-articulated.

    • Mom 12:42 am on 3/22/2006 Permalink

      Wow, Tom, that was passionate and I am very moved by your convictions. I think all that read it will be more enlightened to your position. Wonderful!

    • euicho 2:43 pm on 3/23/2006 Permalink

      Thats all I can hope for. :)

    • John Evans 9:32 pm on 8/20/2006 Permalink

      And mistreatedvets.com

  • euicho 11:02 am on 2/16/2006 Permalink | Reply
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    Your Cellphone Lets the Government Track You 

    Following up on my post about FBI cell phone tapping, the FBI and U.S. DoJ have started tracking citizens without probable cause. Compounding this breach of our Civil Rights, two court decisions have split on the decision of whether this is legal. On January 17, one federal judge in Wisconsin rightfully ruled it was unlawful. Then just 9 days later, a Louisiana judge ruled the opposite.
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  • euicho 7:46 pm on 2/15/2006 Permalink | Reply  

    US Congress computers banned from Wikipedia 

     

    It seems the staff of certain Congressmen have been altering Wikipedia articles with false information, deleting facts they dislike, and padding bios with misinformation. This has lead to a temporary ban on the Senate IP Address range.

    For those not familiar with Wikipedia, it is an online encyclopedia — written, edited, and maintained by users across the globe — who’s aim is to provide accurate, neutrally-presented information to its readers.

    One such instance of POV pushing was for U.S. Rep Marty Meehan, who’s aids were instructed to alter an article on the Congressman, adding subjective material that made him look more favorable.
    (More …)

     

  • euicho 5:01 pm on 12/15/2005 Permalink | Reply
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    Bush Admits Flawed Intelligence 

    Today brought something I never thought I’d see: Bush not only admitting that the intelligence about Iraq was faulty, but also taking responsability for… well, for anything!

    via CNN.com
    On the eve of Iraq’s historic election, President Bush took responsibility Wednesday for “wrong” intelligence that led to the war, but he said removing Saddam Hussein was still necessary.

    He still states that he was justified and it was the right thing to do, which is bull, but I can’t exactly expect miracles here. The article goes on to state that his aproval rating is at 42%, up 4% from November, which I don’t understand, but I also don’t understand how ID has gotten as far as it has, so logic doesn’t exactly enter into it.
    (More …)

     

    • Jesse 5:15 pm on 12/19/2005 Permalink

      Bush: “Bad Intelligence”
      Intelligence: ” I’m sorry.”
      Bush: “And what the hell are biomalogical weapons?”

    • Nyrath the nearly wise 12:24 am on 12/21/2005 Permalink

      But as far as Atlas Shrugged goes, one should always keep in mind Bob the Angry Flower.
      http://www.angryflower.com/atlass.gif

    • euicho 7:59 pm on 12/22/2005 Permalink

      True, true. As they say …to every coin.

  • euicho 2:56 pm on 12/1/2005 Permalink | Reply
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    Pace to Rumsfeld: FACE! 

    Making Light reports – Marine Gen. Peter Pace, THE military man in Washington, openly defied Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in public yesterday, after Rumsfeld tried to correct him.

    via Making Light
    He said soldiers who hear of but don’t see an incident should deal with it through superiors of the offending Iraqis.
    That’s when Rumsfeld stepped to the microphone and said, “I don’t think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it. It’s to report it.”
    Pace then repeated to Rumsfeld that intervening when witnessing abuse is the order the troops must follow, not just reporting it.
    Do you know what we just saw? We just saw the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff tell the Secretary of Defense to sit down and shut up. In public. In front of reporters.

    I doubt Rumsfeld will resign. He doesn’t have that much tact. And yes, General Pace may lose his job, but the damage has been done…

     

  • euicho 5:01 pm on 11/15/2005 Permalink | Reply
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    FBI cell phone tapping 

    Evan called me a couple of days ago and asked me under what circumstances the FBI or local law enforcement agencies could tap cell phones, and whether any Joe A. Technophile could do it. I did a little research, and decided I’d share my findings with everyone.
    (More …)

     

    • Jalbey 10:55 am on 11/17/2005 Permalink

      I’m alive…you send Evan to see if I am alive? I email you and nothing comes back, and you want to know if I’M ALIVE? :-P

      Things have been busy at work (that time of year before we ship) so I have had little time for updating. Anyway, I am alive, and you can talk about me all you want on Doody’s blog I still refuse to let you badger me into updating, I am a free man and I refuse to let anyone just think they can make me do what I dont want to anytime they want me to do som…ok I will update.

      Jalbey

    • euicho 2:24 pm on 11/17/2005 Permalink

      YAY! Jalbey’s alive!

      Yes, actually I *did* send him to go find you, lol. Badgering? Who’s badgering? Not me… noooOOOOooo never.

      Ahahahahahahahaha!
      *SPLASH*
      …

    • Jalbey 9:31 am on 11/18/2005 Permalink

      You got me to post; there are you all happy with yourselves now? I will just go sit in the corner and rock back in forth and mutter incoherently to myself, kind of like Peter did after Louis was the man…bastards.

      :-P

    • Kimba Shaw 1:04 pm on 12/6/2011 Permalink

      Phone tapping is stupid and an invasion of privacy.

  • euicho 12:40 am on 9/21/2005 Permalink  

    A short note to the US Economy 

    Dear US Economy,
    It was nice knowing you. I’ll miss you.
    Love,
    Euicho

     

  • euicho 2:07 pm on 9/14/2005 Permalink  

    Covering Up the Toxic water in New Orleans 

    This Monday I heard:

    via: The Independent
    Toxic chemicals in the New Orleans flood waters will make the city unsafe for full human habitation for a decade, a US government official has told The Independent on Sunday. And, he added, the Bush administration is covering up the danger.

    This shocked me, but I hadn’t found any more in-depth articles. Then today I got an email from Nyrath about an article on Buzzflash that elaborates:
    (More …)

     

    • Zach 12:14 am on 9/15/2005 Permalink

      It does if your middle name is “Dubya”. Which is even scarier. 3 and a half more years

    • Doody 3:23 am on 9/16/2005 Permalink

      I don’t know, but somehow this doesn’t surprise me.

  • euicho 10:50 pm on 8/4/2005 Permalink
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    “Intelligent Design” will destroy America 

    Stirling Newberry has written a very clear-cut article on BOPnews about so-called “Intelligent Design” and the fact that many Americans want to turn their backs on reason, knowledge and science because they interfer with their nonsensical belief system. I think anyone can believe whatever they wish, but when they start to force-feed it to others, or even just impose it on others, I get very upset.

    No one would dare try to sue the church to let them teach evolution during Sunday school, but doing the reverse in schools seems perfectly reasonable to them. What happened to separation of Church and State? What happens to reality as a whole when we throw out facts so that we may believe whatever the hell fantasies and make-believe ideas we feel like?
    (More …)

     

    • daveG 11:24 am on 8/7/2005 Permalink

      I think claiming equal time to teach evolution in church would be a great idea. It is the logical consequence of their argument.

      But even if they succeed luckily, America is not all the world ;-)

    • euicho 9:54 pm on 8/7/2005 Permalink

      Very true.
      I plan on traveling once I graduate anyway,
      and I may just find a new country to call home!

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