Friday, January 4
|
Melinda Secor is the guest editor today. |
The Failure of the Second Amendment
"Gun ownership by itself is in the long term incapable of changing the power of the government. What society needs are intellectual weapons instead. There is nothing more disarming than the desire to be free. Opposition and resistance by millions is worth more than a few armed rebels." Column by new Root Striker Manuel Lora.
How American Democracy Relies on Fascism
“What would you do if you learned that Bush Administration officials wanted to round up thousands of Americans and throw them into concentration camps? For all we know, there is no slippery slope. It's entirely possible that extraordinary rendition, eliminating habeas corpus, and the torture camps at Guantánamo and elsewhere are exactly what the government says they are--tools for fighting terrorists, not domestic political opponents. But how likely is it?” Yep...sure...just like they were only tapping the phones and Internet usage of “terrorists”...not very likely at all.
Expert: Crime of Torture Could Only Have Been Ordered By the President
"That original crime could only have been ordered by the president. It leads directly to his office. And that‘s the concern about the justice department. They can narrow this, define it in a way to avoid torture. You‘ve already seen this happen. Play back all the tapes of the leaders in Congress, the White House and Justice Department, and notice that they rarely use the word 'torture.' With their new 'Super Gonzo' in office now, surely they will cover up Georgie Boy's cover up."
U.N. to Use Spider-Man to 'Sensitize' Youth
“Tens of thousands of children in public schools across America soon could be getting a free comic book, one that extols the virtues of the United Nations and its agenda through the words of a kids' hero, Spider-Man.” They've been sensitized into a stupor already...no more propaganda needed...EXACTY why mine are homeschooled.
Why Is Public Education Failing?
“It's a fact. Most of today's school children can barely read or write. They can't perform math problems without a calculator. They barely know who the Founding Fathers were and know even less of their achievements. Most can't tell you the name of the President of the United States. It's pure and simple; today's children aren't coming out of school with an academics education.”
“Many U.S. media outlets were quick to give us a primer on Islamic terrorism in the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination last week, even though actual evidence points the finger far more at our ally in the war on terror, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, than it does at the Taliban or al-Qaida.”
“For the tiny fraction of people who actually pay attention to real events -- those, for instance, who know the difference between Narnia and Kandahar -- the final hours of 2007 leading into the fog-shrouded abyss of 2008 must induce great racking shudders of nausea.”
Deadbeat America: Late Payments Soar
“The American Bankers Association reported Thursday that the delinquency rate on a composite of consumer loans increased to 2.44 percent in the July-to-September quarter. That was up sharply from 2.27 percent in the previous quarter and was the highest late-payment rate since the second quarter of 2001, when the economy was suffering through a recession.”
Anti-Smoking Chief Breaks Ban on Day 1
“The head of the Portuguese agency responsible for enforcing a new ban on smoking in public was seen lighting up at a New Year party, breaking the law on the first day it came into effect.” Well, these laws aren't meant for them...just us little people.
Atrocity-Linked U.S. Officials Advising Democratic, GOP Presidential Frontrunners
“Presidential candidates are scrambling to win last-minute support in Iowa ahead of tonight’s caucus. Thousands of reporters have also descended on Iowa this week, covering everything from Mike Huckabee’s haircut to John Edwards’s rally with singer John Mellencamp. But little attention has been paid to perhaps one of the most important aspects of the candidates: their advisers, the men and women who likely form the backbone of the candidate’s future cabinet if elected president. Many of the names will be familiar.” Same bunch running the show no matter who is “elected.”
Obama and Huckabee Win First 2008 Vote
“Barack Obama took the first step to winning the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday with a victory in Iowa, while Mike Huckabee capped a stunning political rise to beat Republican rival Mitt Romney.”
“It's that time of year, boys and girls. A time when the voices in my head and I gaze back on the events of 2007, shout 'WTF?' and give out awards accordingly.”
Charges Against Tasered Woman Dropped
"Charges were dismissed today against a northeast Ohio woman who was handcuffed and tasered by a patrolman whose actions were recorded by police dashboard video."
Austin Officer Accused of Hiring Woman for Sex, Paying With Wife's Clothing
“During a four-month period in 2006, Austin police officer Scott Lando hired for sex a woman he'd met while investigating a report that she was assaulted, sometimes meeting her while he was on duty and at least once taking her to his house, according to a search warrant affidavit. As part of her payment, Lando opened his wife's closet to the woman, allowing her to take a pair of black Harley-Davidson leather boots that were still in the box, jewel-studded jeans and a pink and yellow top, the affidavit said.”
Shopper Pulls Gun, Stops Robbery Cold
“A grocery store customer in Indianapolis is being credited with halting an armed robbery by pulling his own weapon and pointing it at the assailant until police arrived.”
Cops Seek Pinup Girl-Law Student's Accomplices
“Fulbright, a 25-year-old former Miss Arizona contestant, had reportedly served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Raner Collins while she attended the University of Arizona's law school. She is listed as a member of the editorial board of the campus law journal, according to the Arizona Daily Star.” What's next...politics? She seems well suited to the profession.
D.B Cooper Money to Go on Auction Block
“In 1980, 8-year-old Brian Ingram found the sole link to the only unsolved airline hijacking in U.S. history buried in the sandy banks of the Columbia River dividing Washington state from Oregon.”
His Parasite Theory Stirs a Revolution
“Weinstock, 59, specializes in studying why immunological diseases - everything from hay fever and asthma to diabetes and multiple sclerosis - are on the rise in developed countries but remain relatively uncommon in undeveloped countries. He believes these diseases, many of which were almost unheard of 100 years ago, are because of changes in our environment, a lack of exposure to something. And he thinks that something may be the worms.”
Sshhh, It's Listening: Totally New Computer Interfaces
“Keyboards are a necessary part of today’s computers, right? Maybe not for much longer. A group of European scientists have used acoustic sensors to turn wooden tabletops and even three-dimensional objects into a new type of computer interface.”
(video clip, Editor's pick)
A photo blog.