Sunday, April 20, 2008
Naughty Saintly Ramblings
During the absence of MadPriest, who is spending the weekend at an undisclosed location, Saintly Ramblings is taking his appointment as chief bad joke supplier very seriously. The thing is that he is posting very funny jokes and very funny real life stories. See his latest on "mouse cleaning".
A+ For Alliteration
Our dear friend, Paul, the Byzigenous Buddhapalian, has been noticed by The Kate Middleton Report, a blog dedicated to the current girl friend of Prince William. His skill in alliteration brought him the prize. Imagine! The lesson here? Persevere in Friday Prince Blogging and you will bring honor upon yourself.
Perish any thoughts that he appears too young to blog. He's a prodigy.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
How To Clean The House
HOW TO CLEAN THE HOUSE
1. Open a new file in your PC .
2. Name it ' Housework '
3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN.
4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN.
5. Your PC will ask you, 'Are you sure you want
To delete Housework permanently?'
6. Calmly answer, ' Yes ,' and press mouse button firmly......
7. Feel better?
Works for me!
Another KBR Employee Raped In Iraq
From The Nation:
Houston
It was an early January morning in 2008 when 42-year-old Dawn Leamon, a paramedic for a defense contractor in southern Iraq, woke up to find her entire room shaking. The shipping container that served as her living quarters was reverberating from nearby rocket attacks, and she was jolted awake to discover an awful reality. "Right then my whole life was turned upside down," she says.
What follows is the story she told me on Monday in a lengthy, painful on-the-record interview, conducted in a lawyer's office in Houston, Texas, while she was back from Iraq on a brief leave this week.
The story is ugly and it's graphic. You need a strong stomach to read it.
Over the next few weeks Leamon would be told to keep quiet about the incident by a KBR supervisor. The camp's military liaison officer also told her not to speak about what had happened, she says. And she would follow these instructions. "Because then, all of a sudden, if you've done exactly what you've been instructed not to do--tell somebody--then you're in danger," Leamon says
This is sickening. What's worse is that Dawn's story is not unique.
Leamon felt very alone. But she was not.
In fact, a growing number of women employees working for US defense contractors in the Middle East are coming forward with complaints of violence directed at them. As the Iraq War drags on, and as stories of US security contractors who seem to operate with impunity continue to emerge (like Blackwater and its deadly attack against Iraqi civilians on September 16, 2007), a rash of new sexual assault and sexual harassment complaints are being lodged against overseas contractors--by their own employees. Todd Kelly, a lawyer in Houston, says his firm alone has fifteen clients with sexual assault, sexual harassment and retaliation complaints (for reporting assault and/or harassment) against Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root LLC (KBR), as well as Cayman Island-based Service Employees International Inc., a KBR shell company. (While Leamon is technically an SEII employee, she is supervised by KBR staff as a KBR employee.)
The contractors seem to operate outside the law, any law. But then, why not? Certain members of the Bush maladministration operate outside the constraints of the law, and our Attorney General Mukasey explains it for us at TPM via Adventus.
Another case:
Many victims of sexual assault find themselves without meaningful recourse when they work for US defense contractors that are powerful companies on foreign soil. "It's one big battle over where to fight the battle," said Leamon's attorney Ross, who is considering if and how and against whom to file charges on behalf of his client.
Take Jamie Leigh Jones's case, for example.
Since Jones alleged she was gang raped in 2005, while KBR was still a Halliburton subsidiary, her case is covered by an extralegal Halliburton dispute-resolution program implemented under then-CEO Dick Cheney in 1997. The program has all the hallmarks of the Cheney White House's penchant for secrecy. While Halliburton declared the program's aim was to reduce costly and lengthy litigation (and limit possible damage awards in the process), in practice it meant that employees like Jones signed away their constitutional right to a jury trial--and agreed to have any disputes heard in a private arbitration hearing without hope of appeal. (While two lower courts declared the tactic illegal, in 2001, the Texas Supreme Court overturned those rulings.)
What have we become? That victims of sexual assault have no recourse within the law is despicable. I have no more words.
Houston
It was an early January morning in 2008 when 42-year-old Dawn Leamon, a paramedic for a defense contractor in southern Iraq, woke up to find her entire room shaking. The shipping container that served as her living quarters was reverberating from nearby rocket attacks, and she was jolted awake to discover an awful reality. "Right then my whole life was turned upside down," she says.
What follows is the story she told me on Monday in a lengthy, painful on-the-record interview, conducted in a lawyer's office in Houston, Texas, while she was back from Iraq on a brief leave this week.
The story is ugly and it's graphic. You need a strong stomach to read it.
Over the next few weeks Leamon would be told to keep quiet about the incident by a KBR supervisor. The camp's military liaison officer also told her not to speak about what had happened, she says. And she would follow these instructions. "Because then, all of a sudden, if you've done exactly what you've been instructed not to do--tell somebody--then you're in danger," Leamon says
This is sickening. What's worse is that Dawn's story is not unique.
Leamon felt very alone. But she was not.
In fact, a growing number of women employees working for US defense contractors in the Middle East are coming forward with complaints of violence directed at them. As the Iraq War drags on, and as stories of US security contractors who seem to operate with impunity continue to emerge (like Blackwater and its deadly attack against Iraqi civilians on September 16, 2007), a rash of new sexual assault and sexual harassment complaints are being lodged against overseas contractors--by their own employees. Todd Kelly, a lawyer in Houston, says his firm alone has fifteen clients with sexual assault, sexual harassment and retaliation complaints (for reporting assault and/or harassment) against Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root LLC (KBR), as well as Cayman Island-based Service Employees International Inc., a KBR shell company. (While Leamon is technically an SEII employee, she is supervised by KBR staff as a KBR employee.)
The contractors seem to operate outside the law, any law. But then, why not? Certain members of the Bush maladministration operate outside the constraints of the law, and our Attorney General Mukasey explains it for us at TPM via Adventus.
Another case:
Many victims of sexual assault find themselves without meaningful recourse when they work for US defense contractors that are powerful companies on foreign soil. "It's one big battle over where to fight the battle," said Leamon's attorney Ross, who is considering if and how and against whom to file charges on behalf of his client.
Take Jamie Leigh Jones's case, for example.
Since Jones alleged she was gang raped in 2005, while KBR was still a Halliburton subsidiary, her case is covered by an extralegal Halliburton dispute-resolution program implemented under then-CEO Dick Cheney in 1997. The program has all the hallmarks of the Cheney White House's penchant for secrecy. While Halliburton declared the program's aim was to reduce costly and lengthy litigation (and limit possible damage awards in the process), in practice it meant that employees like Jones signed away their constitutional right to a jury trial--and agreed to have any disputes heard in a private arbitration hearing without hope of appeal. (While two lower courts declared the tactic illegal, in 2001, the Texas Supreme Court overturned those rulings.)
What have we become? That victims of sexual assault have no recourse within the law is despicable. I have no more words.
Ignorance And Foolishness In Louisiana
From the Advocate:
A Senate panel approved a bill Thursday to revamp the way evolution and other topics are taught in public schools despite charges it could inject biblical topics into science classes.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Ben Nevers, sponsor of the bill, denied that his proposal was a bid to promote creationism — the view that life began about 6,000 years ago in a process described in the Bible’s Book of Genesis.
Nevers and other backers said the bill would promote wide-open classroom discussions that students are hungry to hear.
Opponents said that, if the Legislature approves the bill, it will make Louisiana a target of national ridicule as an outpost of anti-evolution views.
Whenever the Louisiana Legislature is in session, we the citizens, risk having mischief and foolishness thrust upon us. We're much better off when they're at home.
Of course, this bill will make Louisiana the object of ridicule. If the students are hungry to discuss faith theories of how life began, then they can do that outside school science classrooms. Here's an opportunity for the churches to seize the moment. All that's required of the teachers, if the subjects come up, is for them to say that creationism and intelligent design are not scientific theories.
More times than I want to, I have had discussions with people who should know better, but who can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact that there is a difference between what we believe by faith and what we know because scientific methods lead us to that knowledge.
The revamped bill would require the state to assist teachers, principals and others in encouraging students to pursue “critical thinking skills, logical analysis and open and objective discussion of scientific theories.”
You see. They don't get it. The bill will be encouraging students to pursue ignorance. Is that what you want from your education system?
The legislation would allow teachers to use approved materials that supplement school science textbooks in any examination of those theories.
What, indeed, will the supplementary materials contain? I shudder to think. Who will write them? The clergy? Surely not scientists in good standing in their communities.
Nevers said teachers need wider latitude to discuss scientific theories, especially because textbooks are used in seven- to 10-year cycles.
I don't know what the 7 to 10 year cycles have to do with this bill, but I'd say to Nevers, CREATIONISM AND INTELLIGENT DESIGN ARE NOT SCIENTIFIC THEORIES!
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana creationism bill in 1987. Critics said Thursday that Nevers’ bill would spark another costly lawsuit.
So. All of this foolishness seems to be nothing more than posturing, because the state will surely face a lawsuit and will then have to spend our money to defend a stupid law that should never have been passed in the first place, and they will, in the end, likely lose once again. Is there no one in the legislature who will stand up and introduce sanity into the process?
Oh, and I almost forgot.
The legislation, which is a substitute for Senate Bill 561, was first sought by the Louisiana Family Forum, which describes itself as a group that promotes traditional family values.
Would you like to know the mission of the Louisiana Family Forum? I'm going to tell you anyway.
Our Mission
To persuasively present biblical principles in the centers of influence on issues affecting the family through research, communication and networking.
* Persuasively: in a manner that compels a change in thinking which results in action.
* Biblical principles: foundational values derived from transcendent scriptural truth.
* Issues affecting the family: factors that strengthen or diminish family structure, nurture or sustenance.
* Centers of influence: church, business/industry, government, media, arts, law, medicine and academia.
* Research, communication, networking: compiling and evaluating data from the most reliable sources; developing well-reasoned arguments disseminated through publications, broadcasts and speaking; connecting churches, pro-family organizations and influential professionals.
There you have it. Those are the folks who want to influence what is taught in the science classrooms of public schools. Experts all, I'm sure.
A Senate panel approved a bill Thursday to revamp the way evolution and other topics are taught in public schools despite charges it could inject biblical topics into science classes.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Ben Nevers, sponsor of the bill, denied that his proposal was a bid to promote creationism — the view that life began about 6,000 years ago in a process described in the Bible’s Book of Genesis.
Nevers and other backers said the bill would promote wide-open classroom discussions that students are hungry to hear.
Opponents said that, if the Legislature approves the bill, it will make Louisiana a target of national ridicule as an outpost of anti-evolution views.
Whenever the Louisiana Legislature is in session, we the citizens, risk having mischief and foolishness thrust upon us. We're much better off when they're at home.
Of course, this bill will make Louisiana the object of ridicule. If the students are hungry to discuss faith theories of how life began, then they can do that outside school science classrooms. Here's an opportunity for the churches to seize the moment. All that's required of the teachers, if the subjects come up, is for them to say that creationism and intelligent design are not scientific theories.
More times than I want to, I have had discussions with people who should know better, but who can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact that there is a difference between what we believe by faith and what we know because scientific methods lead us to that knowledge.
The revamped bill would require the state to assist teachers, principals and others in encouraging students to pursue “critical thinking skills, logical analysis and open and objective discussion of scientific theories.”
You see. They don't get it. The bill will be encouraging students to pursue ignorance. Is that what you want from your education system?
The legislation would allow teachers to use approved materials that supplement school science textbooks in any examination of those theories.
What, indeed, will the supplementary materials contain? I shudder to think. Who will write them? The clergy? Surely not scientists in good standing in their communities.
Nevers said teachers need wider latitude to discuss scientific theories, especially because textbooks are used in seven- to 10-year cycles.
I don't know what the 7 to 10 year cycles have to do with this bill, but I'd say to Nevers, CREATIONISM AND INTELLIGENT DESIGN ARE NOT SCIENTIFIC THEORIES!
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana creationism bill in 1987. Critics said Thursday that Nevers’ bill would spark another costly lawsuit.
So. All of this foolishness seems to be nothing more than posturing, because the state will surely face a lawsuit and will then have to spend our money to defend a stupid law that should never have been passed in the first place, and they will, in the end, likely lose once again. Is there no one in the legislature who will stand up and introduce sanity into the process?
Oh, and I almost forgot.
The legislation, which is a substitute for Senate Bill 561, was first sought by the Louisiana Family Forum, which describes itself as a group that promotes traditional family values.
Would you like to know the mission of the Louisiana Family Forum? I'm going to tell you anyway.
Our Mission
To persuasively present biblical principles in the centers of influence on issues affecting the family through research, communication and networking.
* Persuasively: in a manner that compels a change in thinking which results in action.
* Biblical principles: foundational values derived from transcendent scriptural truth.
* Issues affecting the family: factors that strengthen or diminish family structure, nurture or sustenance.
* Centers of influence: church, business/industry, government, media, arts, law, medicine and academia.
* Research, communication, networking: compiling and evaluating data from the most reliable sources; developing well-reasoned arguments disseminated through publications, broadcasts and speaking; connecting churches, pro-family organizations and influential professionals.
There you have it. Those are the folks who want to influence what is taught in the science classrooms of public schools. Experts all, I'm sure.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Maxine's Parking Place
Maxine was driving down the street in a sweat because she had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place.
Looking up toward heaven, she said, 'Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up sex and tequila.'
Miraculously, a parking place appeared.
She looked up again and said, 'Never mind. I found one.'
After an all day marathon of unpostable jokes and a plea to send me something that I could use, Doug finally comes through.
Oh, Woe Is Me!
From the MadPriest:
So, I'm closing OCICBW... for a couple of days so I can concentrate on my tax return (oh joy!) and some nerdy stuff like catching up with the cataloging of my records. I've got some days off owed to me which Mrs MadPriest hasn't. I will be back blogging after the weekend. Go bother Eileen or Mimi. They just sit around all day painting their toe nails and stuff.
Well, y'all come and welcome, but if you do, when will I have time to paint my toenails?
I thought I should post this to explain the many references to painted toenails in my earlier post and the comments there.
Any resemblance to John Henry Newman in the picture above is purely coincidental.
UPDATE: Saintly Ramblings has volunteered to help shoulder the heavy burden placed by MadPriest on Eileen and me by posting what he calls "some really bad jokes". He has already begun, so you can pop over there and see. I don't know about Eileen, but I need all the help I can get.
UPDATE 2: Here's a link to a video at Eileen's blog on painting toenails blue. We thought you'd want to know.
The Shoes Of The Fisherman
With thanks to the rabbit.
UPDATE: From Ann comes a link to an article from the Washington Post via the Concord Monitor, an in-depth story on Roman Catholic clerical fashion. On Maria Ardovini, a shopkeeper in the vicinity of the Vatican:
Ardovini was all chatty until she was asked about Benedict's red shoes, and rumors that they are Prada. (Most people who looked into this closely agreed that they're not.) "Please don't say that," she said, her smile fading. "It's blasphemous."
Ah. It was such a good story.
UPDATE 2: There's this from the Wall Street Journal:
The most widely publicized papal branding event appears to have been the result of mistaken identity.
Over the past few months, scores of media reports have dubbed Benedict XVI the "Prada Pope," crediting the Italian fashion house with having made the pope's eye-catching red loafers.
The senior Vatican official says the loafers were actually made by the pope's personal cobbler. But Prada has refused to confirm or deny the reports, allowing the press speculation to continue. A spokesman for Prada said the fashion house lacked "the necessary elements" to make an accurate determination.
I want to get the story right.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
After The "Debate" - Obama's Speech Today
Now that's excellent. He is an amazingly good speechmaker. To me, that's the perfect response to ABC and its moderators.
It's been a long time since I could trust a politician, and I'm not at that point yet, but Obama is quite appealing. I want the deeds to be as good as the words, and if he's elected I pray they will be.
Thanks to Paul at Byzigenous Buddhapalian for calling the video to my attention.
The Great Debate
All I know is what I read in the newspapers. Last night I searched around the channels for the debate in a half-hearted way, because I have seen enough and heard enough politicking during this campaign to last a lifetime. I never found it. I thought that many of the stations would be carrying it, not just ABC, and I never touched down there. No great loss to me, because I would not have lasted through the entire debate anyway.
From the Guardian:
American television network ABC was accused of bias and triviality today in the wake of the latest debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
....
The network was also criticised for a perceived slant against Illinois senator Barack Obama, particularly because moderator George Stephanopoulos worked in President Bill Clinton's White House as an adviser and aide.
By mid-morning today, readers had left more than 12,300 comments on the ABC News website, most of them attacking the programme.
"This debate should have been shown on E! or MTV," wrote one viewer named Dave_Gee.
Wow! Folks are catching on to how really, really low the tee vee news media have sunk. They are all E! or MTV! As I was listening to the talking heads comment after the debate, I was thinking to myself, "How many ordinary voters on the street are even aware of the trivia that the moderators are pounding with such force?" I've seen snippets of the video, and Stephanopoulos and Gibson had some truly awful moments. They should be ashamed.
Editor and Publisher said:
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the health care and mortgage crises, the overall state of the economy and dozens of other pressing issues had to wait for their few moments in the sun as Obama was pressed to explain his recent "bitter" gaffe and relationship with Rev. Wright (seemingly a dead issue) and not wearing a flag pin while Clinton had to answer again for her Bosnia trip exaggerations.
"Bitter", the Rev. Wright, and A FLAG PIN! I weep. A FLAG PIN! And they gave that woman air time!
OK. Here's what I want. Clinton and Obama stop attacking each other RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS MINUTE! Tell us what you will do to begin to bring the country back from the seven years of pillage and destruction wrought by the Bush maladministration. Don't promise miracles, because the way back will be long and difficult. Tell us the truth. Begin to attack the disastrous policies of John McCain, for crying out loud. I didn't think it was possible to have a president worse than Bush, but I believe McCain could be just that. Only go into attack mode when you're talking about John McCain's plans for the country. Got it?
As for the tee vee media. I give up. The news shows are so far from the best of what we had in years past, that I doubt if there is a way back for them in my lifetime.
From the Guardian:
American television network ABC was accused of bias and triviality today in the wake of the latest debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
....
The network was also criticised for a perceived slant against Illinois senator Barack Obama, particularly because moderator George Stephanopoulos worked in President Bill Clinton's White House as an adviser and aide.
By mid-morning today, readers had left more than 12,300 comments on the ABC News website, most of them attacking the programme.
"This debate should have been shown on E! or MTV," wrote one viewer named Dave_Gee.
Wow! Folks are catching on to how really, really low the tee vee news media have sunk. They are all E! or MTV! As I was listening to the talking heads comment after the debate, I was thinking to myself, "How many ordinary voters on the street are even aware of the trivia that the moderators are pounding with such force?" I've seen snippets of the video, and Stephanopoulos and Gibson had some truly awful moments. They should be ashamed.
Editor and Publisher said:
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the health care and mortgage crises, the overall state of the economy and dozens of other pressing issues had to wait for their few moments in the sun as Obama was pressed to explain his recent "bitter" gaffe and relationship with Rev. Wright (seemingly a dead issue) and not wearing a flag pin while Clinton had to answer again for her Bosnia trip exaggerations.
"Bitter", the Rev. Wright, and A FLAG PIN! I weep. A FLAG PIN! And they gave that woman air time!
OK. Here's what I want. Clinton and Obama stop attacking each other RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS MINUTE! Tell us what you will do to begin to bring the country back from the seven years of pillage and destruction wrought by the Bush maladministration. Don't promise miracles, because the way back will be long and difficult. Tell us the truth. Begin to attack the disastrous policies of John McCain, for crying out loud. I didn't think it was possible to have a president worse than Bush, but I believe McCain could be just that. Only go into attack mode when you're talking about John McCain's plans for the country. Got it?
As for the tee vee media. I give up. The news shows are so far from the best of what we had in years past, that I doubt if there is a way back for them in my lifetime.
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