MaxedOutMama

In an attempt to boost its stalled economy, the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans is starting the nation's first free wireless Internet network owned and run by a major city.
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Nagin said the system started operation Tuesday in the central Business District and the French Quarter. It is to be available throughout the city in about a year.

A common theme emerging in the debate about rebuilding hurricane-hit New Orleans is it should have a flood protection system to withstand Category 5 storms.

But building such a system will be astronomically expensive and technically complex, reports The New York Times. It will involve far more than just higher levees, including extensive changes to the city's system of drainage canals and pumps and environmental restoration on a vast scale to replenish buffering wetlands and barrier islands.

Tim Kusky, a professor of earth sciences at St. Louis University and a flood control expert, told CBS News coastal erosion has all but doomed the city's future.

"We should be thinking about a gradual pullout of New Orleans, and starting to rebuild people's homes, businesses and industry in places that can last more than 80 years," he said. "New Orleans is going to be 15 to 18 feet below sea level, sitting off the coast of North America surrounded by a 50- to 100-foot-tall levee system to protect the city."

This should be a proud moment for Canada, where a major conference to find a successor to the Kyoto climate change treaty opens on Monday. Instead, the government is faced with an embarrassing predicament.

How can a country that has campaigned vocally for the world to do more to combat climate change be doing so poorly when it comes to curbing emissions of its own greenhouse gases?

Under the Kyoto treaty, Canada committed to cutting its emissions by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2010. Recent U.N. data show those emissions were in fact almost 25 percent above 1990 levels in 2003.

Developing the oil sands in the province of Alberta will cement Canada's profitable position as the largest exporter of energy to the United States, a fact that critics say exposes what they call the Liberal government's hypocrisy.
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The truth is that although Canada ratified Kyoto in 1997, it has done little in practice to meet its targets. The Liberal government produced a plan in 2001, but it relied in part on advances from technologies which had not yet been invented.

Two Seattle radio talk hosts had the nerve to say how they felt about an issue and then to offer more than lip service.

Their rants against a gas tax increase, as well as their efforts to raise money and circulate petitions, were determined to be in-kind contributions by a local judge, who recently reaffirmed his earlier ruling.

That meant the radio station had to put a dollar value on what the hosts had said. The estimate of that in-kind contribution of $100,000 of airtime was reported as a campaign donation under state law.

For nearly four decades, Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics.

The claim was included in a brief biography released when Richardson successfully ran for Congress in 1982. A White House news release in 1997 mentioned it when he was about to be named U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. And several news organizations, including The Associated Press, have reported it as fact over the years.

But an investigation by the Albuquerque Journal found no record of Richardson being drafted by the A's, who have since moved to Oakland, or any other team.

"The period between 9-11 and (invading) Iraq was not a good time for America. There wasn't a robust discussion of what we were doing," Matthews said."If we stop trying to figure out the other side, we've given up. The person on the other side is not evil. They just have a different perspective.

"The smartest people understand the enemy's point of view, because they understand what's driving them."

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican says homosexuals who are sexually active or support "gay culture" are unwelcome in the priesthood unless they have gotten over their homosexual tendencies for at least three years, according to a church document posted on the Internet by an Italian Catholic news agency.

5. Hey VatiKLAN: Get out of my government, stay away from my body and soul.

BTW, your tax bill is ready and you owe us big time! Stick that in your mitre and pay up before you pray because God won´t listen until you make it right with your fellow man, woman, gay, lesbian, transgendered person and homosexual priest!

KNOW this: Americans will always have this against you and every other false religion until you pay every cent owed going back decades.

AND please stop wearing sheets.

What is in it for me, the reader?

Plenty! First, you will benefit from additional information about lifestyle products and services, targeted to important consumer segments like yourself. Second, you will get the satisfaction of knowing that I have vowed a portion of my anticipated insane wealth to finally wreak sweet vengeance on Kyle Sitzmann, that goddamn bastard who pantsed me during 9th grade coed PE class. Third, money-saving coupons.

I am asking my students to boycott your event. I am also going to ask others to boycott it. Your literature and signs in the entrance lobby look like fascist propaganda and is [sic] extremely offensive. Your main poster "Communism killed 100,000,000" is not only untrue, but ignores the fact that CAPITALISM has killed many more and the evidence for that can be seen in the daily news papers. The U.S. government can fly to dominate the people of Iraq in 12 hours, yet it took them five days to assist the people devastated by huricane [sic] Katrina. Racism and profits were key to their priorities. Exxon, by the way, made $9 Billion in profits this last quarter--their highest proft [sic] margin ever. Thanks to the students of WCCC and other poor and working class people who are recruited to fight and die for EXXON and other corporations who [sic] earning megaprofits from their imperialist plunders. If you want to count the number of deaths based on political systems, you can begin with the more than a million children who have died in Iraq from U.S.-imposed sanctions and war. Or the million African American people who died from lack of access to healthcare in the US over the last 10 years.

I will continue to expose your right-wing, anti-people politics until groups like your [sic] won't dare show their face [sic] on a college campus. Real freedom will come when soldiers in Iraq turn their guns on their superiors and fight for just causes and for people's needs--such freedom fighters can be counted throughout American history and they certainly will be counted again.

Finally, in 1969, in Brandenberg v. Ohio, the Supreme Court struck down the conviction of a Ku Klux Klan member, and established a new standard: Speech can be suppressed only if it is intended, and likely to produce, "imminent lawless action." Otherwise, even speech that advocates violence is protected. The Brandenberg standard prevails today.

I never ask that my fellow liberals agree with me, just that they respect my sense of obligation and professional duty. But at Harvard, that's a tough sell. Here, the emphasis is on the individual--the "me", the "I," and the "mine." It is difficult to explain a group obligation to people who idolize the first person singular.

But the most difficult part of the recruiting period has been learning the limits of liberal tolerance. It has been uncomfortable to see that the lessons I learned from the traditional liberal platform appear not to apply to me.

What Are Key Dates in Long-Range OASI and DI Financing?
For the next 15 years (through 2012) annual income to the OASI and DI Trust
Funds is projected, under the intermediate assumptions, to exceed outgo.
As the “baby-boom” generation reaches retirement age over the period
from 2010 to 2030, several important points will occur, as shown below.
• 2013 - First year OASDI outgo exceeds tax income
• 2019 - Year DI trust fund assets are exhausted
• 2021 - First year OASDI outgo exceeds tax plus interest income
• 2032 - Year combined OASDI trust funds’ assets are exhausted
• 2034 - Year OASI trust fund assets are exhausted
These key dates are 1 to 4 years later than those shown in the 1997 report,
due in large part to better actual and expected economic performance.

The nurse from the Usada Insani Hospital in Tangerang was admitted to Sulianti Saroso Hospital for infectious diseases earlier this month. She and 10 others had been assigned to treat Ina Sholati, a bird flu patient, from the time she was admitted to the hospital until her death on Oct. 28.

Meanwhile, several nurses and doctors from a hospital in Central Jakarta raised concern for their own safety after treating a possible bird flu patient who died on Saturday.

"Some of the nurses who treated the patient had high fever and chills immediately after the patient was transferred to Sulianti Saroso Hospital on Friday," a nurse said.
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"When we developed symptoms, we were all given Tamiflu, but later on the hospital wanted us to pay for it. Only after we protested and demanded free medicine did the hospital give us the medicine for free," another nurse told the Post.

In a related development, the country's quarantine authorities issued an urgent circular ordering inspectors at ports of entry and exit to step up efforts to prevent human infection of bird flu.

The circular said temperature- screening machines must be used at border crossings and passengers must fill out health-declaration cards.

Osama bin Laden wants the United States to convert to Islam, ditch its constitution, abolish banks, jail homosexuals and sign the Kyoto climate change treaty.

The first complete collection of the Saudi's statements published today portrays a world in which Islam's enemies will take the first steps towards salvation by embracing the "religion of all the Prophets".

Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden is billed as the first accurate compendium of the terrorist leader's words, threats and ruminations from 1994 to 2004.

The comptroller general of the United States is explaining over eggs how the nation's finances are going to hell.

"We face a demographic tsunami" that "will never recede," David Walker tells a group of reporters. He runs through a long list of fiscal challenges, led by the imminent retirement of the baby boomers, whose promised Medicare and Social Security benefits will swamp the federal budget in coming decades.
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Without major spending cuts, tax increases or both, the national debt will grow more than $3 trillion through 2010, to $11.2 trillion — nearly $38,000 for every man, woman and child. The interest alone would cost $561 billion in 2010, the same as the Pentagon.

The FBI is opening an internal investigation into the fight between Chicago Bears offensive linemen Olin Kreutz and Fred Miller at its shooting range in the Chicago area, Special Agent Richard Kolko said Wednesday.
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An FBI official said several Bears were invited to take target practice. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the internal investigation, said it is common for FBI field offices to invite community groups to shooting ranges.

The official said the fight took place after the shooting session, during a barbecue for FBI employees and the players. He confirmed that alcohol was consumed during the barbecue, but insisted there was no drinking during the target practice.

NYT DOWD BOOK: ONLY 10,140 SERVED IN FIRST WEEK AFTER MEGA-PRESS BLITZ FOR 'ARE MEN NECESSARY?'...

[DOWD'S NYT COUNTERPART THOMAS FRIEDMAN 'WORLD' SELLS 21,566 FOR WEEK; 785,752 SINCE RELEASE]

Chapter 1: Men, those scum, don't work enough to have disposable income to purchase great literature. Instead of working for a living, they prefer to watch NASCAR or women mud wrestling. Those SCUM!

Chapter 2: Men who do have enough disposable income to purchase great literature are so busy marrying their maids that they don't bother to read and enrich themselves culturally. What ignorant scum of the earth they are.

Chapter 3: How NASCAR-watching no-good men mooch off their hardworking wives so much that the poor women can't even buy a book.

Chapter 4: Why un-liberated women are so afraid of never getting married that they will not be seen reading a book entitled "Are Men Necessary?" in a bar. How this demonstrates their appalling shallowness.

Chapter 5: Why lesbians ignore the problems of their heterosexual sisters. What has become of the sisterhood?

Chapter 6: Why married women should be ashamed of themselves for selling out.

Chapter 7: Why authors who pander to their audience by writing mega-sellers are shallow egomaniacs.

Chapter 8: Is all this Bush's fault, or the Pope's? Can anyone tell the difference? They both have huge ravening egos and specialize in brutalizing women.

Several times, I left detailed messages for Gail Collins at the Times, giving her the true facts of Pickering's record—as Times reporters had found—but I never received an answer. Dan Okrent, the Times' ombudsman, told me he would write about this journalistic malfeasance, but he hasn't.

Will Dan Okrent's successor, Barney Calame, formerly of The Wall Street Journal, dare to call to account the writer of the April 28 editorial scandalizing Janice Rogers Brown—and will he ask Gail Collins if she deigns to have a fact checker looking at the editorials she sends out as the voice of the Times?

...I've seen numerous examples of such behavior on the part of the New York Times over the past several months. All involve selective quoting, misquoting, or simply claiming a GI said something without actually quoting them at all. Most range in repugnance from mildly annoying to grossly reprehensible - but in what I believe is the worst case they appear to attempt to frame a soldier for murder.

Let's look back on a few examples of New York Times attacks on American GIs, shall we?

"The terrible fact is," she said, "we don't get many pro-Bush letters to the editor. When we do, we try to publish them."

Acknowledging the obvious -- Times letter-writers "are not a perfect cross-section of the American public" -- she urged her mostly female, mostly senior, mostly Republican audience to help her out next time President Bush gives a State of the Union speech.

"As soon as it's over, go to your e-mail and send us a two-paragraph, pithy letter, saying what a great speech that was. And your chances of being published will be really, really, really good. Our letters editor really looks for those kinds of letters and he doesn't get nearly enough of them."

The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

2What, my son? and what, O son of my womb?

And what, O son of my vows?

3Give not thy strength unto women,

Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;

Nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink?

5Lest they drink, and forget the law,

And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted.

6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,

And wine unto the bitter in soul:

7Let him drink, and forget his poverty,

And remember his misery no more.

8Open thy mouth for the dumb,

In the cause of all such as are left desolate.

9Open thy mouth, judge righteously,

And minister justice to the poor and needy.

10A worthy woman who can find?

For her price is far above rubies.

11The heart of her husband trusteth in her,

And he shall have no lack of gain.

12She doeth him good and not evil

All the days of her life.

13She seeketh wool and flax,

And worketh willingly with her hands.

14She is like the merchant-ships;

She bringeth her bread from afar.

15She riseth also while it is yet night,

And giveth food to her household,

And their task to her maidens.

16She considereth a field, and buyeth it;

With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17She girdeth her loins with strength,

And maketh strong her arms.

18She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable:

Her lamp goeth not out by night.

19She layeth her hands to the distaff,

And her hands hold the spindle.

20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor;

Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21She is not afraid of the snow for her household;

For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry;

Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24She maketh linen garments and selleth them,

And delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25Strength and dignity are her clothing;

And she laugheth at the time to come.

26She openeth her mouth with wisdom;

And the law of kindness is on her tongue.

27She looketh well to the ways of her household,

And eateth not the bread of idleness.

28Her children rise up, and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying:

29Many daughters have done worthily,

But thou excellest them all.

30Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain;

But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

31Give her of the fruit of her hands;

And let her works praise her in the gates.

Without insight or self-awareness; without a willingness to take personal responsibility, or expect it of others; without the integrity to act in the real world to support what you believe--instead of adhering to some absolute ideal world that doesn't exist--you can expect little else but chaos and disaster in your sad, difficult life.

But when this level of cluelessness and passive malevolence is exhibited by prominent ex-presidents; as well as the leaders of a major political party and its hysterical minions--well, its potential destructiveness to the entire nation is enormous.

In December 2004, the Financial Services Roundtable submitted a petition asking the FDIC to adopt rules that would provide parity between state banks and national banks in all interstate operations and activities. Specifically, the Roundtable asked that the rules provide that a state bank may operate interstate under the law and regulations of the bank's home state (i.e., its chartering state) to the same extent that a national bank operates interstate under the National Bank Act (NBA) and the OCC's rules. The Roundtable also requested that the rules implement section 27 of the FDI Act in such a way as to parallel the rules issued by the OCC and the OTS regarding preemption of state usury laws for national banks and federal thrifts operating interstate.

In response to that petition, the FDIC Board of Directors approved the attached notice of proposed rulemaking at its October 6, 2005, meeting. The proposed rules would implement section 24(j) of the FDI Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1831a(j), which describes, generally, which state laws apply to branches of out-of-state, state-chartered banks and would also implement section 27 of the FDI Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1831d, which generally describes the interest rates that state banks may charge.

There are 26 states that have no limit on what bank credit card issuers can charge for interest rates, according to the American Bankers Association. Issuers in 27 states have no limit on what they can charge for annual fees.

California, Delaware, South Dakota and Tennessee are among the states offering the least protection. These four states currently have no maximums on the following:

· delinquency fees
· cash advance fees
· over-the-limit fees
· transaction fees
· stop payment fees
· ATM fees
· mandatory grace period

According to the mainstream media, the rioters are "disaffected youths" who feel "alienated" from French society. The mainstream fiction is that they are rioting because of high unemployment and unfavorable social conditions.
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So, why are the Europeans (and the mainstream media on both sides of the Atlantic) blaming themselves and giving Islam a pass? It's simple. If it is the government's fault, there is some hope of fixing the problem. At the minimum, it creates the illusion of empowering the people, at least temporarily.

If it is the government's fault, the people can always change governments. But if it is part of a coming Islamic war for what's been dubbed "Eurabia" – well, that is just too terrible a thought to consider.