Tuesday, June 5, 2007

FOXNews.com - Princess Diana's Sons Plead With TV Channel to Not Air Crash Photos - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

FOXNews.com - Princess Diana's Sons Plead With TV Channel to Not Air Crash Photos - International News News of the World Middle East News Europe News:

"LONDON — Princess Diana's sons have urged a British television channel not to
use 'deeply distressing' photographs of her fatal car crash in a documentary
airing Wednesday, royal officials said."


In talking about photos and if you should use them or not there are a number of factors that come into the discussion. How important the pictures are in telling the story, the impact of the pictures on the general population, the rights of privacy of the subjects of the photo and their family, and the importance of the story being told.

I think that on a couple of these points a case could be made for using the pictures. The larger case though points for me to not using the pictures. The above issues aside there is the simple issue of humyn respect and dignity. The death of Diana was a tragic event for not only her family but a number of people who were attached to her. Using the photos would only increase the suffering of those people, with little to gain for the story.

Lynne Spears Cancels Wednesday Interview On “The View” | Pop Crunch

Lynne Spears Cancels Wednesday Interview On “The View” Pop Crunch:

"Lynne Spears, the reportedly estranged mother of butt-baring pop singer
Britney Spears, has canceled her scheduled tell-all appearance on The View this
Wednesday."


Imagine the dirt she could have dished, not that she would have.

Allie Is Wired - The Entertainment Blog: Kate Hudson And Owen Wilson On The Outs

Allie Is Wired - The Entertainment Blog: Kate Hudson And Owen Wilson On The Outs:

"People is reporting that Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson have broken up, but
that they, like all Hollywood couples, remain friends. Well, all Hollywood
couples except maybe Alec and Kim."


I hope it was fun while it lasted.

Ron Paul on Daily Show

Sarah Silverman’s MTV Movie Awards Opening Monologue


Find this video and thousands of others at vSocial!

Best Night Ever

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt adopting a Czech boy to add to their brood?

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt adopting a Czech boy to add to their brood?:

"Washington, June 5 (ANI): The Jolie-Pitt family is soon going to get
bigger, for Brangelina have reportedly decided to adopt for the fourth time.
The newest youngster is said to be an orphan from the Czech Republic, where
Jolie has been shooting her new movie ‘Wanted’. "


I know that they will be able to hire as much help as they need, but if this story is true I wonder if it really is a good idea to be adopting so many children so quickly.

LINKS - POLITICS

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The Strata-Sphere » Blog Archive » McCain On The Realities Of Immigration Reform

The Strata-Sphere » Blog Archive » McCain On The Realities Of Immigration Reform:

"“The politics of Washington have encouraged us to leave solutions to the
toughest problems for another unluckier generation of leaders. Problems are left
unsolved year after year, because we fear the political consequences of
seriously addressing them or value their utility as political attacks in our
campaigns. … To do nothing now would be an unconscionable abrogation of our
responsibilities to defend the security, prosperity and values of our country. …
I welcome any attempt to meet our responsibility to fix our broken borders and
immigration system. Our proposal has provoked criticism from some on both the
left and right. Compromises usually do. People of good will, who take their
responsibilities seriously, argue variously that our ideas are too tough or not
tough enough. I do not question the sincerity of their convictions or their
purpose in proposing other ways to address the problem. There is one premise
most of us agree on: the status quo is unacceptable. … "


While I understand where McCain is coming from, I think that one of the key problems with this bill is it does little to address the problems of immigration. Allowing all those who are in the country with a Z visa until they are shown to be a threat or they can become citizens which requires further steps, does not solve the problem. In the end it could lead to more immigration if new immigrants believe that they can get a Z visa and be bumped to the top of the list for citizenship. It is being said that they will not be let to the front of the line, but I doubt that is the truth.

Bush's latest controversial judicial nominee. - By Emily Bazelon - Slate Magazine

Bush's latest controversial judicial nominee. - By Emily Bazelon - Slate Magazine

At Southwick's confirmation hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked him to give
an example of an unpopular decision he'd made in favor of somebody downtrodden—a
poor person, or a member of a minority group, or someone who'd simply turned to
the courts for help. Judge Southwick couldn't name a single one.
The question
might sound like a bit of a stunt. But other data show that Judge Southwick's
answer fits with his larger record. He has a pattern of voting against workers
and the injured and in favor of corporations. According to the advocacy group
Alliance for Justice, Southwick voted "against the injured party and in favor of
business interests" in 160 of 180 cases that gave rise to a dissent and that
involved employment law and injury-based suits for damages. When one judge on a
panel dissents in a case, there's an argument it could come out either way,
which makes these cases a good measure of how a judge thinks when he's got some
legal leeway. In such cases, Judge Southwick almost never favors the rights of
workers or people who've suffered discrimination or been harmed by a shoddy
product.


Looks like a new judge battle is set to be waged over Bush's nomination of Southwick.

Michelle Malkin: Trashing the border

Michelle Malkin: Trashing the border:

"After three years of cleanups, the federal government has achieved no better
than a 1 percent solution for the problem of trash left in southern Arizona by
illegal border-crossers.
Cleanup crews from various agencies, volunteer
groups and the Tohono O'odham Nation hauled about 250,000 pounds of trash from
thousands of acres of federal, state and private land across southern Arizona
from 2002 to 2005, says the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
But that's only
a fraction of the nearly 25 million pounds of trash thought to be out there."


There are a number of reasons that this border issue needs to be resolved. Immigrants traveling across the desert and leaving tons of garbage is only one of the problems that results. While it is a problem that doesn't get as much attention it is a threat to the habit of the border region and the animals that live along the border.

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Fred’s Net-centric campaign: Good news for us or bad news for him?

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Fred’s Net-centric campaign: Good news for us or bad news for him?:

"Yet a late start and signs that Mr. Thompson may adopt an unconventional
campaign style — limiting in-person appearances by making extensive use of
blogging and online video — could crimp the television actor’s ability to raise
money over the long haul. He has suggested he isn’t enamored of leaving his
family for long stretches of campaign travel. The question is whether an
Internet campaign will help him raise money quickly or leave big donors
cold…"


I think that the net is a tool that can be used to run for any office, like TV or the radio. However to rely to much on the net would be as short sighted as putting to much focus on TV or radio. From everything I have read the Thompson campaign is hitting the ground with a half a tank of gas and not going any where fast.

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: “Where’s the fence?”

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: “Where’s the fence?”:

"GrassFire’s hoping to reach 15 million people with this one. They’re well on
their way: the print version of the spot was front and center in the banner slot
at Drudge a few hours ago. Presumably it’s an allusion to the old “Where’s the
beef?” commercial for Wendy’s; otherwise I can’t fathom why they’d choose three
elderly, crotchety, and notably white ladies to represent the border enforcement
faction. Pssst, guys — “cranky and disoriented” aren’t the buzz words you want
branded on your movement."


A fence, a wall or any barrier of that nature is just not a barrier that is going to keep immigrants from accessing the country. In Africa there is a border that immigrants attempt to sneak across on a regular basis, it has a long and high fence along it. What the migrants do is build ladders in the forest to climb over it.

Daily Kos: The Dems' Iraq Summer

Daily Kos: The Dems' Iraq Summer:

"Democratic congressional leaders, whose efforts to force a withdrawal from Iraq
were stymied last month, plan a summer of repeated Iraq-related votes designed
to force Republican lawmakers to abandon the White House before the fall.
At
the same time, antiwar groups are expanding their campaign to pressure GOP
incumbents in their home states.
Both efforts seek to ensure that anxious
Republican lawmakers — many of whom have said they want to wait until September
to assess President Bush's Iraq strategy — get no break from the war over the
summer."


I have said this before and I am saying it again. I am for this war ending, I believe that all of the candidates for the White House on the Democratic side are for this war ending. I think that all of the candidates on the Republican side are for this war ending. I think that the president the vice president and the secretary of state are for this war ending. I know that I have lost some of you on my point.

My point is not ending the war, no one wants the war to go on longer than it needs to. The talk about ending the war, of course means ending American involvement in the war, and our investment in Iraq. When the troops leave, the question is do we leave the country perched on the brink of chaos and violence? Do we stay until all the violence has ended in the country. I think there must be a third way, where we work with the government of Iraq, and we work to get the country stable, so we can bring the troops home. I think it is irresponsible to talk about bringing the troops home without talking about the effects that this will have on the country of Iraq. Democrats don't believe in Iraqis, they don't believe that they either can or do want freedom. I do believe in Iraqis, and I think that they want freedom and they want peace, maybe they should be working harder to reach those goals. I believe we need to support them in this task.

Daily Kos: Thompson is lazy

Daily Kos: Thompson is lazy:

"The former senator turned 'Law & Order' actor, who launched an
exploratory committee last week, has been dogged by rumors that he doesn't have
the work ethic for a long campaign. 'The book on him is he's lazy,' David Keene,
president of the American Conservative Union, said last week. The criticism
seems fed by Thompson's time in the Senate, where he maintained a less rigorous
schedule than his colleagues and was known to duck out of late-night debates. Of
the 90 bills he introduced during his eight years in the Senate, only four
became law [...]
His 2008 competitors have privately questioned his
endurance, with one rival consultant (anonymous so as not to reflect badly on
his own man) telling NEWSWEEK, 'I doubt he has the fire in the belly to
compete.' "


I doubt that Thompson will make it to the end of the race. He isn't the Howard Dean of this race, he is the Paris Hilton of this race.

Off the Kuff: Ron Paul's other unlovely guest

Off the Kuff: Ron Paul's other unlovely guest:

"Paul recently waded a bit deeper into the immigration fray by introducing
legislation that would deny citizenship to children born in the United States to
illegal immigrant parents. He referred to those children as 'anchor babies.'
'As long as illegal immigrants know that their children born here will be
citizens, the perverse incentive to sneak into this country remains strong,'
Paul said last month. 'Citizenship involves more than the mere location of one's
birth. True citizenship requires cultural connections and an allegiance to the
United States.
'Birthright citizenship sometimes confers the benefits of
being American on people who do not truly embrace America.'"


Just because someone makes a stand for something that is unpopular and goes up against someone that you disagree with doesn't mean they deserve your support. Ron Paul should not be trusted.

New Boobs

Captain's Quarters

Captain's Quarters: Bring A Long Ladder For That Last Helicopter

"With pressure building in Washington for an American troop pullout,
Iraqis who have worked closely with U.S. companies and military forces are
begging their employers for assurances that they will be able to leave with
them.
'They must take care of the people who worked with the Americans,'
said Hayder, an Iraqi who has worked for several U.S. companies since coalition
forces entered Iraq. ...
A woman who has worked closely with the U.S.
military said she was deeply worried about what will happen when the Americans
leave.
'Who is going to protect us?' she asked during an interview near her
home in downtown Baghdad.
When the Americans leave, all those who worked
with them 'must leave also,' said another woman who has been forced to move to
Jordan. She asked that her name not be used in order to protect her extended
family still living in Baghdad."


One of the strongest arguments in support of maintaining our struggle for freedom in Iraq is the fate of those that are working with the Americans there. They are risking their lives, standing up to the terrorists that want America to fail and want Iraq to fail. If they are going to take these steps, if young men are going to take the step of joining the Iraqi army they need to know that America is going to support them, and help them. A sudden pull out of troops from Iraq means that many of those who worked with Americans in Iraq will be targeted and killed, the Iraqis know that. If they cannot trust us to continue the fight, they will not join the fight.

Captain's Quarters

Captain's Quarters: CBO: Immigration Bill Wll Fail On Most Counts

"The Senate's immigration bill will only reduce illegal immigration by
about 25 percent a year, according to a new Congressional Budget Office report,
Stephen Dinan will report Tuesday in The Washington Times.
The bill's new
guest-worker program could lead to at least 500,000 more illegal immigrants
within a decade, said the report from the CBO, which said in its official cost
estimate that it assumes some future temporary workers will overstay their time
in the plan, adding up to a half-million by 2017 and 1 million by 2027. ....
And in a blow to President Bush's timetable, the CBO said the 'triggers' --
setting up the verification system, deploying 20,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents
to duty and constructing hundreds of miles of fencing and vehicle barriers --
won't be met until 2010.
Those triggers must be met before the temporary
worker program could begin, and Mr. Bush had hoped to have them completed about
the time he leaves office in January 2009."



Just another nail in the coffin. This may be the end of Bush, he has and is putting a lot behind this bill and I think that he is losing a strong source of support by doing so.

The GOP is in disarray over immigration. They've turned their venom on each other. - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

The GOP is in disarray over immigration. They've turned their venom on each other. - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"Fewer than half of Republicans, 45 percent in this ABC News/Washington Post
poll, now approve of how Bush is handling immigration, down from 61 percent in
April — that's a 16-point drop in six weeks. Just 35 percent of conservatives
approve, down from 48 percent.

This marks one of the few times in his
presidency Bush has received less than 50 percent approval from members of his
own party on any issue in an ABC/Post poll. On handling the Iraq War, for
comparison, he's never gone below 62 percent approval from Republicans. "


The immigration issue is breaking a lot of powerful relationships on the right. For the first time since Bush has been in office, he has taken aim with his smear attack not on the left but on the right. I was listening to a radio show by a conservative against the immigration bill the other day. The host said that they were just getting the attacks the left had already gotten used to. I doubt that this bill is going to make it though the process. Bush is behind it and I think that he believed that if he supported it that he had the party behind him and the base would support him. It turns out that the base is quick to turn against the president, I think that he under estimated how intensely people feel about this issue.

Congressman William "$90,000 in the freezer" Jefferson facing indictment today - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Congressman William "$90,000 in the freezer" Jefferson facing indictment today - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth:

"The charges include racketeering, solicitation of bribes, honest services wire
fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, violating the foreign corrupt
practices act, and conspiracy. The indictment relates to an alleged bribery
scheme for him and his family and his alleged bribery of a Nigerian official."


This is a dirty politician, and should face charges for these actions.

Group Claims It Has Killed 2 Missing U.S. Soldiers | Air America Radio

Group Claims It Has Killed 2 Missing U.S. Soldiers Air America Radio:

"An al-Qaeda-linked militant group in Iraq asserted today that it has killed two
U.S. soldiers it captured in an ambush last month, but the group provided no
proof that the missing men are dead "


If this is true, it is a sad end to a sad story. I know this is going to be spinned by both sides. If you ask me it doesn't sound like something that the administration is lying about. If this whole ordeal were a story sold by the army to increase support for the war, it would be to their advantage for the soldiers to go on being missing, not dead.

Caught On Video: Fed Ex Semi Jackknifes On I-4, Hits Fire Engine

LINKS - GOSSIP

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John Edwards - Georgia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner (entire)

Countdown: Worst Person June 4, 2007

Countdown: The Nexus of Politics and Terror








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