Ultraquiet No More

Not Caught in Fishing Net, Afterall Peteropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia Associated Press Russian crews looped cables under an underwater antenna snaring a mini-submarine on the Pacific floor Saturday and would try to lift them closer to the surface before air ran out for seven trapped sailors, a navy spokesman said. More at: Ultraquiet No More

Revived Blog

I plan to restart this blog and to use it for special subjects. Yawl comeback, heah? FranklySpeaking

FranklySpeaking Has Moved

Thanks for visiting this blog but it has been changed over to a new site with a new name. Common Sense Junction is the new blog. Thanks -- FranklySpeaking, better know as Frank Laughter

FranklySpeaking is Moving

I'm moving TO: Common Sense Junction | I don't like leaving control of my page formats (templates) to someone I can't see or talk to. Therefore, I've set up a new Blog (using Word Press) at my Home site and it will my "Blog Base" for the future. It occurs to me that at my Home site the Blog name FranklySpeaking would be silly because ten of thousands of daily visitors already know who I am, Frank Laughter. -- So, as of today I'm Frank at Common Sense Junction... Hope to see you there. -- FranklySpeaking, this is Frank Laughter

Myth Illogical | AARP and Social Security

The Cato Institute, by Alan Reynolds | **QUOTE** The AARP claims to represent us seniors, but more often it just lectures us relentlessly. One such sermon in the AARP Bulletin, opposing any addition of choice and ownership to Social Security, boasted "groups like AARP that oppose [privatization] will spend millions of dollars to sway opinion." Apparently, it plans to waste thousands of words, too, and without much concern about accuracy. **END QUOTE** More at Cato site....

Unbelievable! COLOR photos from WW I

The color photo was invented in 1903 by the Lumiere brothers, and the French army was the only one taking color photos during the course of the war. Well worth a look. -- BigD and Bubba

"A Point About Social Security"

The New Editor | "Will someone please explain to me how this is an effective system? The average salary in the country is around $44,000 a year; at a 12.4% tax rate, that's about $5,000 a year that goes into the program. Assuming that rate of contribution for 40 years, how is it possible that someone could think that the average recipient getting less than $1,000 a month is an acceptable return?" -- More at The New Editor Over at Econopundit they ask, "What am I missing?" and then adds: "The scandal is that these returns are based on a Ponzi scheme: people who paid in very little get a great return because "new [investors']" money is given to them." More... at Econopundit

"YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIITE UP"

The Conspiracy to Keep You Poor and Stupid | "...as Sylvain Galineau says. From a New York Times correction (you know, just one of those little "for the record" items):" | The caption on Feb. 14 for a picture by Reuters with the continuation of an article about the Iraqi elections misstated the reason Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, a Shiite cleric, was weeping. He was participating in a mourning ritual as part of Ashura, a holy Shiite festival - not reacting to results showing that his political alliance had won a slim majority of seats. -- More at The Conspiracy to Keep You Stupid

So Long to Superbanker Of CitiCorp: Walter Wriston

My condolences to the Wriston family and friends. I agree with Larry Kudlow that Walt Wriston was "a truly good and great man." I worked for Wriston (under John Reed) in the early 1970s when he had just begun the monumental task of consolidating computer and back-office methods to support re-invented money exchange systems (ATMs, etc.). His vision was remarkable but his honesty, integrity, fairness, grit and determination were most prominent and most appreciated by those around him. -- More at Kudlow's Money Politic$

NY Times: "Plame Leak May Not Have Violated Law"

JustOneMinute: | "There is nothing like the prospect of an imminent hanging to concentrate the mind; apparently, the prospect of having one of their reporters go to jail for eighteen months has concentrated the minds of the NY Times editors on the legal subtleties of the Valerie Plame leak investigation." -- More at JustOneMinute

Wichita Police: 'BTK Is Arrested'

FOXNews.com | "WICHITA, Kan. — Police said Saturday they have arrested a suspect they believe is the notorious BTK serial killer, who terrorized Wichita throughout the 1970s and then resurfaced about a year ago after 25 years of silence." -- More at FOXNews.com

Condi flips off Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, going to London instead

Guardian Unlimited | "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is deferring an expected trip to Egypt and other Mideast countries next week, confining her travels to a conference in London on assisting the Palestinian Authority." -- More at the Guardian Unlimited

Court upholds death sentence in USS Cole bombing

CNN.com | "A Yemeni appeals court on Saturday upheld a death sentence for a man convicted of being the mastermind behind the bombing of the USS Cole, but reduced a death sentence given to a second man, a government official told CNN." -- More at CNN.com

Colin Powell: 'I'm very sore'

Telegraph | News | (London) -- Colin Powell follows the Dixie Chicks and Eason Jordan to Europe to complain. "This is the first real interview I've given," says Colin Powell. "I want to let time pass." -- More at Telegraph | News

"Finger Points To Iran After Attack"

CBS News | "Palestinian sources say an operative from the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, which they say has been trying to disrupt an informal Mideast truce, financed the Tel Aviv attack and recruited the suicide bomber, reports CBS News Correspondent Robert Berger. ... Hezbollah, which is funded by Iran, has hundreds of West Bank gunmen from various Palestinian militant groups on its payroll." -- More at CBS News

"HIV Infection Rate Among Blacks Doubles"

"The HIV infection rate has doubled among blacks in the United States over a decade while holding steady among whites stark evidence of a widening racial gap in the epidemic, government scientists said Friday." -- More at ABC News

Mystery Witness Emerges in Jackson Case

On the eve of trial, a mystery witness has emerged in the Michael Jackson case and will be deposed by both the prosecution and defense in a rare weekend session at noon Saturday in Los Angeles. -- More at ABC News

Egypt's Mubarak Orders Election Reform

After the arrest of his strongest opponent: More at ABC News

CAUGHT ON TAPE ADVOCATING TERRORISM

Michelle Malkin has posted copies of audios (with transcripts) that reveal WARD CHURCHILL giving support and instructions for conducting terrorist acts. You can listen with Media Player or similar player.

Only Four Members of Congress Blog

Townhall.com 's The ConservativeLog: "But It's a Start! Representatives Mike Pence of Indiana, Katharine Harris of Florida and Mark Kirk of Illinois - GOPers all - are the only Members of the U.S. House of Representatives with official blogs for their offices. Over in the U.S. Senate, Vermont's Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, has the senior body's sole official blog." -- In a related entry, The NY Times seems to think that all congressional bloggers are Dems. More at... Townhall.com 's The ConservativeLog

Sabato's Crystal Ball - White House 2008

The Democrats -- The nomination battle between the liberals and the moderates: by Larry J. Sabato, Director, U.Va. Center for Politics -- Sabato's Crystal Ball - White House 2008: The Democrats

WSJ: "In Reagan's Footsteps"

WSJ, OpinionJournal - Featured Article: "Europe decides that Bush may be right after all... If President Bush's trip this week has some kind of new theme, the word for it is probably conciliation." -- More... Full Article

BIZARRE TWIST IN THE WARD CHURCHILL SAGA

Leave it to Michelle Malkin to find another reason that scumbag Ward Churchill should not only be fired but perhaps prosecuted as well. More at Michelle's blog

Family: Heart Attack Victim Moved for Michael Jackson

ABC News: Is reporting that Jackson's bout with the flu last week may have cost a women her life. -- More....

Bush in Brussels

This from the BEEB: Courtesy of Turgid Magniloquence -- "The president is wonderfully un-European - refreshingly so in the view of those of us who have worked in Brussels." -- More....

Karl Rove | The AARP Kerfuffle | Down Under

Wanna learn more about the amazing Karl Rove? Check OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today for Feb. 24th. According to the paranoid Left, Rove is more than just a superman... Another excerpt from yesterday's BOTW: Homer Nods "The official language of Belgium is not Belgiumish, as we said in an item yesterday. We regret the error. Belgium's language is actually known as Belch."

Nuclear Option Would Put Senate 'in Turmoil'

02/24/2005, CNSNews.com:

The new chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Thursday that changing the Senate rules to overcome unprecedented filibusters against judicial nominees would create "turmoil" and "bedlam.

Now that Specter has the job he WILL revert to his old self. -- More.... CNSNews.com

American Churches Out Over Gays

CBS News spins it that the U.S. and Canadian churches withdrew from the association. In fact they were ASKED to withdraw. -- CBS News | Feature | February 24, 2005, 20:30:02

PC Fear Factor: Official Spyware Page

Related to the previous entry: I encourage everyone to contact their Senators and Representative to help give them a little backbone stiffener in passing the bill that would restrict slimeballs from downloading spyware to our computers. The last I heard, the bill was working its way through but was getting watered down at every step. -- PC Fear Factor: Official Spyware Page

A Spy Brought in From the Warm

Wizbang points to a CNet article about a company that was sued by the New York Post, The New York Times, Dow Jones, The Washington Post, L.L. Bean and Extended Stay America for inserting ads for competitors into popup boxes over their sites. The spyware specialist has now been appointed as a member of the Department of Homeland Security's Privacy Advisory Board. -- Full story: here and here.

Boomerangs can hurt

WSJ OpinionJournal: "Prosecutor of the Times"

"In the recent annals of press freedom, there are few more regrettable sentences than those two from a December 31, 2003, editorial in the New York Times." -- More.... Featured Article

Canada has turned all French

News from The Associated Press: The spineless French demonstrated their mettle fifty years ago by opting out of NATO to save money, but the French still enjoyed the benefits of NATO's protection. Since then the world has gradually come to realize the true character and nature of the French people. Now Canada has pulled a Frenchy by opting out of the North American Defense Shield. How can they lose? They will still get protection from missiles from North Korea or China, but not have to spend any money or allow defense missiles on Canadian soil.... But Canadians WILL pay. Ask the French.... News from The Associated Press

I'm a little confused...

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Gov. Bill Richardson, DN.M., to Discuss Leadership..." Isn't this the same guy who was a disaster as Secretary of Energy under Clinton. I know he was Ambassador to the U.N. and has a great record of getting hostages freed from overseas thugs but as a manager of large enterprises, he seems to have been pretty bad...

"Bronzed Johnny Rebs...."

"Battle over the past rages on in an evolving South": "RALEIGH, N.C. -- Bronzed Johnny Rebs, sprinting across a Capitol lawn, charging soundlessly for the ideals of the 'lost cause,' have long been seen as a quaint and largely harmless part of this region's heritage. Today, doubts rise alongside pride in regard to these sculpted heroes." -- More.... The Christian Science Monitor

THE DEEP THROAT BRIEF

February 7, 2005, Writing.Com: THE DEEP THROAT BRIEF: I missed this earlier but thanks to Deep Thoughts who pointed the way to the full article at Writing.Com. -- A terrific item well worth reading.

Keller of The Times admits to Jarvis, what its all about

February 23, 2005, FROM: Jeff Jarvis' BuzzMachine:

Email from Keller to Jarvis (excerpt):
"My quarrel with the blog world, to the extent I have one, is really with the zealots -- the people whose pose is revolutionary, whose articles of faith are that All Information Must Be Free (as if we should stop paying Dexter Filkins to risk his life in Iraq) and that Editing Is Evil (abolish those fact-checking departments and copy desks and let the Truth emerge organically from the collision of blogs) and so on."

You can read Jeff's entry at: "Keller of The Times writes, again"

Secret Bill Clinton Tapes Anyone?

February 21, 2005, NewsMax.com: Inside Cover Story: NewsMax has a story that Monica claims she has tapes from her answering machine with Bill whispering sweet things in her ear but nobody is interested. -- Full Story.... NewsMax

Unreleased Tapes a 'Betrayal'

February 22, 2005, NewsMax.com: Inside Cover Story: How'd you like to wake up and find you HAD a friend like Doug Wead? You gotta read this... from NewsMax.com:

"Audiotapes released Sunday of President Bush speaking in a private, off-the-record conversation may not be as damaging as critics had hoped, with Bush winning raves in some cases for sounding the same in unguarded moments as he does in public. "But presidential historian and former first family friend Doug Wead, who secretly recorded Bush, is hinting that the full nine hours of audio he has could be a different matter."

Can you say: slimball, scumbag, piece of shit, lowlife, sub-human? I know... Why not just post a list of all of the objectional words in the English language? Naw... That still wouldn't cover it. But, I have an idea some good may come of this. Remember how the MSM came down on Linda Tripp over her tapes of Monica? ... Well let's listen and watch REAL close to see if we can detect a difference in noise and visual levels over the Wead tapes. Wanna make a bet that things will be quieter? -- Full story at: NewsMax.com

"Read this article and tell me..."

February 22, 2005, Kim du Toit - Daily Rant: Posted by Kim du Toit on Feb 22, 2005 at 10:10am:: -- "Aaaargh... Read this article and tell me whether we shouldn’t drop a daisycutter on JHS 51 in Brooklyn instead of on Islamist assholes..." [I agree with Kim du Toit but would "prepare the battlefield." It would be good to widely publicize the names of the principal and teacher around Brooklyn so that they could experience some of the "fun" their little "darlings" are putting G.I.'s through. After all, we ARE talking 'free speech' aren't we? -- Frankly Speaking]

Judge's speech to Richard Reid

February 20, 2005, (Blog) Turgid Magniloquence: -- "Judge's speech to Richard Reid" Came across this on a RedState diary. I must have missed it at the time, but I liked it... Turgid Magniloquence Excerpt from Judge's sentencing comments after Reid's conviction: "You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you are a terrorist... And we do not negotiate with terrorists." -- Judge William Young U.S. District Court -- More... Turgid Magniloquence or RedState.org

"And Who Is this James Toronto Chap, Anyway?"

February 17, 2005, The Gantelope, (blogger Andrew Coulson): : "Can a Gantelope Elope With a Cantaloupe?" The Eason Jordan story seems to have driven James Taranto (editorial writer for The WSJ) over the edge. Now he's lost his equilibrium... You'll see what I mean by reading this: "TheGantelope: And Who Is this James Toronto Chap, Anyway?" and then reading this: Best of the Web, Feb. 18, (scroll down to near bottom of the BOW page).

State posts names of delinquent taxpayers on Web

Feb. 21, 2005, AP Wire | Lexington Herald Ledger: FRANKFORT, Ky. - "Kentucky's top 300 tax scofflaws are now posted on a state Web site." "State revenue officials have listed online the names and last known addresses of 150 businesses and 150 individuals who owe the state money in overdue taxes. Listings also include how much each owes in taxes." -- More....

Gingrich urges action against illegals

February 21, 2005, The Washington Times: Nation/Politics: "Newt Gingrich is demanding that the Bush administration get serious about stopping illegal immigration." "The former House speaker wants the United States to completely seal off its border along Mexico and Canada, deport illegal aliens within 72 hours of their arrest and exclude U.S. courts from reviewing such deportations." -- More....

Social Security 'Transition Costs' a Myth

February 21 2005, CNSNews.com Economists: "Re-labeling debt is not a cost." **QUOTE**The trillion dollar totals that Democrats cite as "transition costs" are actually the amount the government is borrowing to pay current Social Security benefits combined with the massive debt already owed to the so-called Social Security "Trust Fund." **END QUOTE** -- More.... Cybercast News Service

February 20, 2005, Rodger Morrow on the ethics of authorship:: This isn't writing, it's typing.: Backbiting

Militaryphotos.net :: Iwo Jima - 60 Years Ago

MY kinda stuff! FranklySpeaking -- Militaryphotos.net :: View topic - Iwo Jima - 60 Years Ago

Beyond the Beer Commercial

February 20, 2005, Applause in the Airport: I'm a little late finding this item. Betsy's Page picked it up several days ago from an article in Agape Press about Rick, from Winona, Mississippi (ex-Marine). Well worth reading.

fixtheworld: The Freedom To Be Critical

February 20, 2005, FixTheWorld (blog): Rony Abovitz responds to criticism from Daily Kos blog: FixTheWorld

NHL Season IS Dead -- Again

February 20, 2005, AP My Way - Sports News: "Even having Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux at the bargaining table didn't help as talks broke down Saturday..." -- More....

Saturn's Moon Titan a Frozen World

February 20, 2005, AP My Way News: "Titan is the Peter Pan of our solar system. It's a little world that never grew up, ..." -- More....

Couple Build Startup Into Blog Powerhouse

February 20, 2005, AP My Way News: "The Trotts, both 27, have amplified the buzz about Web logs, or blogs, by making them easier to set up and write." -- More.... My Way News

Urgent: Blogging Lessons Needed In England

February 20, 2005, The Observer ...nothing to say: " 'Brits have lost the skill of conversation,' said Ronald Carter, conversation expert and professor of English Language at Nottingham University." -- More....

Hillary and McCain Tour Iraq

February 20,2005, Associated Press, Sen. Clinton Says Iraq Insurgents Failing: "Both Clinton and McCain have been strident critics of the Pentagon's planning and management of the war in Iraq. But Clinton said Saturday that Sunni Muslim insurgents were failing in their efforts to destabilize Iraq through sectarian violence." -- More.... Yahoo! News

Glimpses of the Future President

February 20, 2005, The New York Times > In Secretly Taped Conversations: "As George W. Bush was first moving onto the national political stage, he often turned for advice to an old friend who secretly taped some of their private conversations, creating a rare record of the future president as a politician and a personality." More....

'Someone in a Position to Know Told Me'

February 19, 2005, Johnny Dollar's Place: ERIC BURNS [FOX NEWS]: "Because someone who is in a position to know, and who is fairly recently deceased, and I kept his secret until that point, told me." -- More....

Media Warned About Faux News Advocacy Pieces

February 19, 2005, Always reliable Steve Ott at ScrappleFace remins us that recently the Bush Administration was caught peddling "faux news advocacy pieces." Now says Steve, "...major U.S. media outlets including the New York Times, CNN and CBS News have received a similar advisory." We wonder if this latest "advisory" came from a blogger? -- ScrappleFace

Bloggers Can Now PodCast

February 19, 2005 -- ... "Their show, mostly ad-libbed, is a podcast, a kind of recording that, thanks to a technology barely six months old, anyone can make on a computer and then post to a Web site, where it can be downloaded to an iPod or any MP3 player to be played at the listener's leisure." -- The New York Times ... Podcasts Are Here....

NRO Interrogatory: American History 101

Larry Schweikart on A Patriot's History of the United States: "A Patriot's History is just short of 1,000 pages written by two conservative history professors, Larry Schweikart (University of Dayton) and Michael Allen (University of Washington, Tacoma)." -- Review....

Court: Wife broke law with spyware

February 17, 2005, Tech News on ZDNet: A two-way shocker -- "A wife who installed spyware on her husband's computer to secretly record evidence of an extramarital affair violated state law, a Florida court ruled Friday." -- More....

U.S. agencies earn D-plus on computer security

Feb 16 2005, AP, SecurityFocus HOME News: "The overall security of computer systems inside the largest U.S. government agencies improved marginally since last year but still merits only a D-plus on the latest progress report from Congress. "The departments of Transportation, Justice and the Interior made remarkable improvements, according to the rankings, which were compiled by the House Government Reform Committee and based on reports from each agency's inspector general. "But seven of the 24 largest agencies received failing grades, including the departments of Energy and Homeland Security." -- More....

Social Security Tax May Mean More Money

February 17, 2005, AP MyWay News, By LAURA MECKLER -- WASHINGTON (AP) - Increasing Social Security taxes for the wealthiest Americans could raise more than $100 billion a year - enough to shore up the retirement system's finances for 75 years, pay for President Bush's plan for private accounts, or part of each. -- More....

The Word Unheard out of North Carolina

February 17, 2005, Retired Marines guard Lt. Pantano's Home After Terrorist Threat: "...a website was created in Pakistan depicting the beheading of Marine 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano, suddenly under investigation for murder amid delayed allegations by a disgruntled subordinate. When word got out about the website, retired Marines still living in the Camp Lejeune area immediately took Homeland Security into their own hands and set up a 24-hour guard perimeter around the Pantano home to protect the Marine and his family." -- More.... The Word Unheard Previous entry

Eason's Fable At The Weekly Standard

February 17, 2005, Captain's Quarters, By Edward Morrissey "FOR TWO WEEKS Eason Jordan has been engulfed in a blogswarm. During remarks at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, the now-former CNN executive accused the U.S. military of deliberately targeting journalists in Iraq for murder. The unleashed fury of the blogosphere eventually overcame a media blackout to force Jordan from his job..." More....

A Tangled Web of Dems

Thursday, February 17, 2005, Confederate Yankee (blog) Boxer/Stewart/Dean Connection Verified "There is a link, a very big one, between Barbara Boxer, and Lynn Stewart, and Howard Dean." More....

Open Government Act of 2005

Feb. 16, 2005, Tapscott's Copy Desk: "Bloggers should know that Cornyn and his Senate Judiciary Committee staff members had them in mind while drafting this legislation. He acknowledged as much this morning during a floor speech introducing the FOIA reforms." -- More....

WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL GUYS?

02/15/05, TKS on National Review Online, jim geraghty reporting: Ohhhh no. This can't end well. -- More....

Brent Bozell Slams The "Lynch-Mob" Meme

February 16, 2005, Captain's Quarters blog, by Ed Morrissey -- More....

Howard Dean, the moderate?

2.15.2005, ARMAVIRUMQUE: THE NEW CRITERION'S WEBLOG, posted by Roger Kimball -- **QUOTE** I've never thought of Paul Krugman as a comedian. But then I read his piece today in The New York Times informing us that Howard "Mr. Scream" Dean represented the sane, moderate wing of the Democratic Party. ... But if it is true that Dean now passes for a middle-of-the-road Democrat, what does that tell us about the Democratic Party? **END QUOTE** More....

Marine charged in killing of Iraqis -

February 14, 2005 The Washington Times, By Rowan Scarborough -- **Quote** He is the kind of Marine officer who seems to come off the assembly line, so patriotic that he rejoined the Corps after September 11 and went to Iraq to kill terrorists. ... That is why it is so hard for 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano and his family to understand how the Marine Corps could call the platoon leader a murderer. More....

The Blogs Beat the Bigs Again

How often does this happen? -- by Hugh Hewitt, 02/10/2005 **QUOTE** Because of a big stonewall from the Davos bureaucrats, the videotape of the Jordan remarks has not been released. To a certain extent it doesn't matter, as Jordan has already been branded a nut because of remarks he made to a different gathering of media types in the fall of 2004. As quoted in The Guardian on November 19, he remarked: "Actions speak louder than words. The reality is that at least 10 journalists have been killed by the U.S. military, and according to reports I believe to be true journalists have been arrested and tortured by U.S. forces." **END QUOTE** -- More in: The Daily Standard

BuzzMachine... by Jeff Jarvis

TO: Bill Keller, New York Times RE: The Times' blog problems and an invitation -- The New York Times media beat reporters got beaten badly on the Eason Jordan story -- by [gasp] weblogs and cable news -- and so how do they react? By catching up their readers on what they missed? Of course not. They react by lashing out at weblogs. -- More... by Jeff Jarvis

OpinionJournal - Extra, February 14, 2005

The End of the Beginning, BY ARTHUR CHRENKOFF -- "Like a four-year-old child, the media were so distracted by bright colours and loud noises that they missed the real story. Set fire to a second-hand Nissan and they send a camera crew round to take pretty pictures of the big plume of smoke rising up in the sky. "But the seeds of a democratic culture are harder to spot." More....

National Review Online -- 2/14/05

Andrew C. McCarthy on Wall Street Journal & Eason Jordan -- It’s No “Kerfuffle”: ...the Journal has decided that the story mustn't have been much of a story if Bret Stephens didn't see it that way. It has not demanded the release of a tape that might well be available. This is a curious lapse — when has a first-rate news organization ever thought less information was better? More....

ARMAVIRUMQUE: THE NEW CRITERION'S WEBLOG

2.11.2005 -- A small victory for higher education -- [Posted by Roger Kimball] Readers of this weblog will note that we have several times taken Nancy Rabinowitz, the director Hamilton College's Kirkland Project, to task... It was Professor Rabinowitz who invited Annie Sprinkle to campus. It was she who invited the convicted felon Susan Rosenberg to teach a course at the college,. And it was she who invited the now-infamous Ward "little Eichmanns" Churchill to give a talk at the college. More....

Easongate: THE MSM AND THE "LYNCH MOB"

In case you were stuck in the remotest corner of the Himalayas over the weekend, CNN exec Eason Jordan resigned Friday night. Which can mean only one thing... time for a bitter MSM backlash against the blogosphere! Michelle Malkin

Easongate: A Tempest, but not in a Teacup

The media has accepted the resignation of Eason Jordan without question, and has portrayed the pursuit of the truth by bloggers as a lynch mob with a political agenda. David Bauder's Associated Press account unquestioningly accepts Eason Jordan's statement that he "quickly backed off the remarks". Several in attendance have stated otherwise. The facts, many of which the media are wholly ignoring, should be remembered before Mr. Jordan's statements are accepted without criticism. Bill Roggio at Easongate:

Now Why Did They Listen To The Daily Kos? -- February 11, 2005

There is just the smallest of small problems -- on the most incendiary tidbit, The Lost Kos folks have precious little evidence. ["Gannon" Speaks! See UPDATE]. Which means that the Times has fallen overboard. JustOneMinute

The Blog Herald:

Newpaper man accuses bloggers of McCarthyism! -- More....

Sun. Feb 13, 2005 -- "Sons of Sen. McCarthy"

From Little Green Footballs: -- Bertrand Pecquerie, Director of the World Editors Forum: "Fifty years ago, it was enough to be communist to be fired, today, it is enough to raise questions about the Bush administration policy in Iraq to be denounced as 'anti-American'." (Eason Jordan was JUST raising questions. Give me a break! -- FranklySpeaking) More at.... lgf: Blogger

Live-Blogging Reliable Sources

Captain's Quarters

Jordan Sidesteps Responsibility: Blames Bloggers

"First, it was the right thing to do to resign. That much must be said. However, while many applaud Eason Jordan's 'taking responsibility for his actions', I respectfully reserve my applause." -- The Word Unheard:

FixTheWorld.com : Feb 13, 2005

"I am unnerved by what has happened, at the ferocity of the blog swarm, of Eason's fumbled retreats, evasive maneuvers, and an inexplicable refusal to have his own words played back to the world on a videotape (which does exist). The head of the largest news organization in the world, afraid of himself. There is a Shakespearean sense of tragedy and drama in this story. Eason, prince of CNN, committs a last act of valor and attempts to restore grace to himself and his overlords. His actions are classic Bushido, the way of the Samurai warrior, sacrificing himself to protect his Masters from harm. Give him at least this. Why Eason retreated and evaded and hid behind a web of spin is a mystery to me." -- Rony Abovitz

USNews.com: Michael Barone (2/21/05)

"Going into the 2004 election cycle, just about everyone said the Internet was going to change politics. But no one was sure how. Now we know." Blogosphere politics (2/21/05)

EASONGATE: A RETROSPECTIVE - Michelle Malkin

"For those of us in the information business, this is truly an earth-shaking time. Who would have imagined that the downfall of one of the world's most powerful news executives would be precipitated by an ordinary citizen blogging his eyewitness report at Davos in the wee hours of the morning on Jan. 27? It's simply stunning." Michelle Malkin

CNN executive resigns - Feb 11, 2005

CNN Entertainment!

Blogs For Bush

CNN Internal Memo Re: Eason Jordan

Captain's Quarters

Kurtz Still Doesn't Cover The Whole Story

FranklySpeaking On Easongate

There are at least four disturbing and almost ignored aspects of the Davos forum: Of course, we have the remarks made by Eason Jordan.... but then there are David Gergen, Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd. Howard Kurtz (of CNN and the Washington Post) deserved flaming for his wishy-washy responses to numerous inquiries, but Gergen's, Frank's and Dodd's conduct (between the time the meeting ended and the time the story broke) is appalling. All three acted as though nothing had happened but given their responsibilities, they should have been screaming for a full investigation.

Michelle Malkin

Michelle Malkin: BREAKING NEWS: EASON JORDAN RESIGNS

Stewart Vows to Appeal Terror Conviction

"NEW YORK — A veteran civil rights lawyer known for representing radicals and revolutionaries in her 30 years on the New York legal scene has vowed to fight her conviction for smuggling messages of violence from one of her jailed clients to his terrorist disciples. "A tearful Stewart insisted she did nothing wrong after taking over Abdel-Rahman's case and representing him until her arrest in 2002. The blind cleric was convicted in 1995 of plotting to blow up New York landmarks and assassinate Egypt's president. " 'I hope this is a wake up call to all the citizens of this country,' she said outside court. 'You can't lock up the lawyers.' " Comment: Stewart revealed her upside-down reasoning in the post-trial press conference. Refusing to take responsibility for breaking the law, she said that lawyers must be allowed to do whatever they want to do when representing clients! Amazing! -- Full story...

Captain's Quarters

"Senate Democrats demandedThursday that President Bush order a halt to personal attacks on the party's leader, Sen. Harry Reid, and expressed regret that they had failed to mount a stronger defense for his defeated predecessor."

Senator Calls for Release of Comments by CNN News Chief -- 02/10/2005

"Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) called the comments by Eason Jordan, the head of CNN's news division, 'outrageous and wrong,' and said he wants to see the videotape of Jordan making the comments."

House approves electronic ID cards

CNET News.com: "The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a sweeping set of rules aimed at forcing states to issue all adults federally approved electronic ID cards, including driver's licenses. "

ScrappleFace.com

Senate Curbs Class Actions, Lawyers Shop New Senate by Scott Ott -- (2005-02-11) -- A spokesman for the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) said it would seek a legislative 'change of venue' after the U.S. Senate approved a bill effectively limiting the size of class-action lawsuits. The House is expected to follow suit next week, forcing the trial lawyers to shop the issue internationally. "We're looking for a more favorable legislative body," said the unnamed ATLA source. "The U.S. Congress isn't the only law-making entity in the world. European and African legislatures have become quite competitive. We'll take our business elsewhere." Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Federal Judges Association urged the trial lawyers to bring the issue to a federal court. "We would hate to see this business outsourced," said an FJA spokesman. "We believe the world's finest legislators wear black robes right here in the USA, and our rulings are comparable with anything you'll find in Europe." -- ScrappleFace

My Way News

Senate OKs Limit on Class Action Lawsuits: "The Senate has taken a critical step toward granting families, consumers and employers relief from the heavy burden of lawsuit abuse," said Thomas Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Now it's time for the House to finish the job and take back our civil justice system from plaintiffs' lawyers seeking jackpot justice."

My Way News

House OKs Citizenship Check for Driver's Licenses (But what about voter registration!?)

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

'Easongate' -- What did CNN's chief really say at Davos?
I was there. BY BRET STEPHENS -- Featured Article -- It turns out that there is a slight problem with BRET STEPHENS' article.... He has an affiliation with Eason Jordon and the World Economic Forum that he failed to disclose in the feature. See Dinocrat.com

Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel

"Dr. Mike S. Adams, author of the excellent treatise of life on a modern college campus, 'Welcome to the Ivory Tower of Babel', also wrote the following essay and regularly posts comments to prominent Weblogs (Blogs). However, recently he has learned that his postings may no longer be welcome on AOL sites" -- Is AOL censoring conservative speech?

The Right Report

"Do Illegal Aliens Even Exist Anymore?"

PirateBallerina.com

PirateBallerina.com: "A compilation of links to various sources of news and information about Ward Churchill."

Larry Kudlow on George W. Bush and the Budget on NRO Financial

Bush's Budget is Supply Side

FrontPage magazine.com :: The Little Injun That Could by Ann Coulter

February 10, 2005 -- "If Ward Churchill loses his job teaching at the University of Colorado, he could end up giving Howard Dean a real run for his money to head the Democratic National Committee. "Churchill already has a phony lineage and phony war record � just like John Kerry! (Someone should also check out Churchill's claim that he spent Christmas 1968 at Wounded Knee.) In 1983, Churchill met with Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and later felt it necessary to announce that his group, the American Indian Movement, 'has not requested arms from the Libyan government.' In 1997, he was one of the 'witnesses' who spoke at a 'Free Mumia' event in Philadelphia on behalf of convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal." More....

Mark Goldblatt on Ward Churchill on National Review Online

"By Mark Goldblatt -- The recent controversy over the writings of Ward Churchill, radical activist, faux Indian, and tenured professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado, raises a number of serious academic issues -- which, let me underscore, does not mean that Churchill himself is in any way serious." W. Churchill -- A sad look at a sick academic bubble. -- More...:

Microsoft to buy anti-virus firm Sybari; targets enterprise market - update 4 | newratings.com

Microsoft to buy anti-virus firm Sybari: "Thursday, February 10"

Entertainment News Article | Reuters.com

UK's Charles to Marry Camilla Parker Bowles | Reuters.com: "Thu Feb 10, 2005"

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today

Fleeing for Good: "Sen. Mark Dayton, the Minnesota Democrat who fled Washington in October because he feared a terrorist attack but returned after President Bush's re-election, is leaving the capital for good. St. Paul's KSTP-TV reports Dayton will retire from the Senate after just one term: Dayton had been seen as vulnerable in a run for a second term. Late last month, a Star Tribune Minnesota Poll found Dayton's approval rating had fallen to 43 percent. Dayton's departure from the race presents a major opportunity for Republicans in a state that has become increasingly more friendly to GOP politicians. Among those considering bids were Congressmen Gil Gutknecht and Mark Kennedy, as well as former Senator Rod Grams, who lost to Dayton in 2000. Minnesota is a longtime Democratic bastion in presidential races, last backing a Republican in 1972. But in 2002 the GOP won races for both senator and governor, and John Kerry's margin last year was only 3.5%. You can bet the GOP will be eyeing this seat."

OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today

"So here's the scenario. A conservative prime minister, much reviled by the liberal press and disliked personally by all the left-wing intelligentsia, sends hundreds of his country's troops to Iraq in support of the US operation there and in the next general election wins a victory far beyond expectations. John Howard, right? ... No, the scenario was played out by Thaksin Shinawatra in Thailand last weekend. . . ." -- More... :

Varifrank: What would you say?

Apparently General Mattis said something this week that the Washington Press corp considered to be 'offensive'. -- Allow me to put his comments into historical perspective:" -- Varifrank

CBS News | A Dark Chapter In Medical History | February 9, 2005�21:18:07

CBS News A Dark Chapter In Medical History February 9, 2005�21:18:07: The CBS 60 Minutes story on use of babies in the 1950's-60's in medical experiments. Let me know if there is very a difference in those procedures and partial-birth abortions.

The KerrySpot on National Review Online

The Kerry Spot on National Review Online: Kate Adie, in a radio interview, March 9, 2003: -- One of the pieces of evidence for the 'U.S. troops are targeting journalists' argument is a comment from a Pentagon official to BBC reporter Kate Adie before the war began.

Davids Medienkritik

Davids Medienkritik: "No Obligations for Chancellor Schroeder after 2006... Rarely do I see a need to disagree with the Wall Street Journal."

ScrappleFace: Pentagon Sets Rules of Engagement for Journalists

ScrappleFace: Pentagon Sets Rules of Engagement for Journalists: " Pentagon Sets Rules of Engagement for Journalists by Scott Ott (2005-05-08) -- Spurred by CNN executive Eason Jordan's accusations that U.S. troops have targeted journalists in Iraq, the Pentagon today issued revised rules of engagement for encounters between U.S. forces and the members of the news media. Under the new guidelines, U.S. troops will first offer journalists an opportunity to throw down their cameras and notebooks and approach with hands raised. 'We're there to kill terrorists, not journalists,' said an unnamed Pentagon official. 'The new rules are designed to make it easier for our personnel to distinguish between the two, since they're often found together and have similar objectives.' Once in captivity, the so-called Prisoners Of Undetermined Loyalty Embedded with Terrorists (POULET), will be treated according to the Geneva Conventions, although the Justice Department has yet to rule on their official status."

Captain's Quarters

Captain's Quarters: "Brave Sir Dayton has again beat a very brave retreat from Washington DC, this time in a metaphoric sense, as he abruptly announced that he will not seek re-election in 2006, more than eighteen months away: Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., said today that he will not run for re-election in 2006. Dayton made the announcement this afternoon in a telephone conference call with reporters. 'I do not believe that I am the best candidate to lead the DFL Party to victory next year,'' Dayton said."

From ScrappleFace's Blog - Feb. 9, 2005

Bush Offers 'Ownership Society' Drug Benefit (2005-02-09) -- The Bush administration today announced it would pay for the re-estimated $1.2 trillion 10-year cost of the new Medicare drug benefit by applying the president's "ownership society" vision to the use of pharmaceuticals by the elderly. Under the terms of the plan, senior citizens who need prescription medications would work up to 20 hours per week in local drug manufacturing facilities, counting and packaging pills, to earn medication credits (called 'dosage dollars') and shares of stock in the companies. "When you give people a handout, it demeans them and creates dependency," President Bush told a cheering sell-out crowd on his Social Security Reform 'Rock the Lockbox' Tour. "We need to let America's seniors maintain their dignity through meaningful work and give them a chance to own a piece of the companies that sell the drugs." Instead of a $720 billion-to-$1.2 trillion government expense over 10 years, the new plan envisions a seven-year phased takeover of the pharmaceutical industry by the elderly, its biggest customers. In related news, a spokesman for the McDonald's Corporation, said, "the fast food industry would vigorously oppose this cynical attempt to decimate its workforce."