NEW YORK - A month after a failed attempt to move the USS Intrepid, the historic aircraft carrier was freed Tuesday from the Hudson River anchorage where it had sat for nearly a quarter of a century.
"This old baby is moving," a joyous Intrepid Foundation President Bill White said aboard the vessel. Some crew members cried and gave each other high-fives and hugs. Onlookers ashore cheered.
After considerable effort, the aircraft carrier inched haltingly away from its anchorage. Finally, it began moving at about 3 to 4 knots, its pier growing more and more distant.
"Move baby, move baby!" the crew and passengers yelled. Then, "We did it, we did it!"
In the previous attempt, thick mud had proved too strong for six "tractor tugs" exerting some 30,000 horsepower. Another battle occured this time, too the blue water was churned dark brown as tugboats strained to inch the giant vessel away from its longtime home.
"If she doesn't move, we are going to jump in and push her," a former crew member, 84-year-old Joe Kobert, said on the Intrepid's deck before the behemoth began to move on Tuesday.
The smaller boats moved the ship stern first by its tail-end into the center of the Hudson River, then nudged the bow until it was parallel with the shore and began heading downstream.
The aircraft carrier-turned-museum was being towed, still backward, down the river toward New York Harbor for a five-mile trip to a shipyard in Bayonne, N.J., where it will undergo renovations.
#2
Anybody heard of a converted warship called "Salvage Chief"? It works primarily on the west coast of the US. It may be the biggest salvage tug out there. If I remember right, it can exert a 400 ton pull all by its little ol' self! Interesting history.
As a longtime leader in heavy marine salvage, the name Fred Devine Diving and Salvage Co. carries a lot of weight. In fact, our equipment flagship the M/V "SALVAGE CHIEF" has a 400 ton line pull. Fred Devine designed this unique ship. He knew first hand what was needed from a salvage vessel, and he equipped the SALVAGE CHIEF to handle every possible situation from firefighting to re-floating.
#4
That's the one! Used to be a WWII warship at one point in its life.
Anyway, it looks like those tractor tugs can do about 6000HP each, which is almost double what the Salvage Chief has to offer. OOF! Brutes. I wonder what kind of pull they have.
INDONESIA is grappling with its first real political sex scandal a widely circulated video of one of its most powerful politicians in a hotel room with a popular singer. With or without underwear?
Politicians have taken care to keep their lives private in this predominantly Islamic country. Many have playboy reputations but none has been caught on tape. The politician, Yahya Zaini, is parliamentary secretary of the Golkar Party, the biggest in Indonesia, and head of its religious affairs committee, which has responsibility for moral issues. So they caught the holy man with his pants down and his doinker out?
Vice-President and Golkar Party chief Jusuf Kalla said the tape must be verified. "The woman in the video could be his wife, who knows? If that is the case, the one distributing the video must be held responsible," he said. You're sure it wasn't Fed Ex and Britney?
Mr Zaini, who is married, flew back from a parliamentary study tour in Australia at the weekend, as news of the tape spread. He is in hiding in Jakarta. The singer, Maria Eva, admitted making the tape, but denied distributing it. "Nope. Nope. Wudn't me. I wuz only a performer!"
During a tearful press conference last night, Eva said she had loved Mr Zaini, but their affair ended two years ago. She said she had been pregnant and was pressured to have an abortion by him and his wife. Eva said Mr Zaini had financed her first album. His wife didn't, though, I'll bet...
She said she had tried to forget the episode and was now a participant in a Koran reading class at the home of Din Syamsudin, chairman of Indonesia's peak religious body. "Yeah. Dat's all behind me now. Din's financing my next album, y'know."
Eva has appeared in several miniseries, including the Islamic-oriented Divine Blessing soap opera. It is believed the video was shot as she and Mr Zaini campaigned for Golkar. It was sent to a number of mobile phones and email addresses last week. Eva's lawyer, Ruhut Sitompul, said Golkar figures had sent her an open plane ticket and told her to leave for Singapore for her safety. "Eva: They're getting out the torches and pitchforks. Leave town quick!"
Islamic leaders and political parties have been campaigning for tougher morality laws in Indonesia, including outlawing pornography and public displays of affection. They want harsh action taken against Mr Zaini. For a private display of affection?
Party deputy chairman Agung Laksono heads Golkar's investigative team. "The team's main task is to investigate whether the porn video is authentic, determine what kind of violation the legislator committed and make recommendations on what actions the party should take," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Well, Islamos are very fond of cutting things off for permannet punishment. Step over closer to the chopping block, Mr. Secretary.
#2
Maria, who was born Maria Ulfah, has fairly good religious credentials. She has been on the pilgrimage to Mecca, twice, both in and out of the Hajj season, and spent much time in prayer, contemplation, and communication with God, in the Holy Land of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Maria is still a virgin, it seems, because she is not yet married, and she claims to be unafraid of the prospect of being a perawan tua, literally old virgin, or more likely old spinster, preferring instead to just go with the flow of life.
However she does admit to having dated western men in Jakarta, and even while such men are notorious for their ravenous sexual appetites, it appears she managed to maintain her purity.
#5
"The team's main task is to investigate whether the porn video is authentic, determine what kind of violation the legislator committed and make recommendations on what actions the party should take," he said.
#8
Wasn't the ex PM of Indonesia accused of buggering his running mate? Can't remember, but i assume it's only an islamic sex scandel if WIMMEN pttuuui ptuuui are involved
#9
Wasn't the ex PM of Indonesia accused of buggering his running mate?
If Cingold drops by, he could confirm, but don't you rather refer to this opposition pol in malaysia who was (wrongly, I seem to recall) accused with sodomy, the man-to-man type?
#12
That's what "bugger" means, lol. It's OK, I'm just here to help. ;-)
Good gawd. First he becomes a mod, and now he's a Gov't employee, lol!
Posted by: BA ||
12/05/2006 13:37 Comments ||
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#13
Interesting tidbit from pravda
concerning former Indo President Sukarno and the old KGB... However, surprised happened sometimes too, like it was with the notorious case for seducing Indonesian President Ahmed Sukarno. He was known for his sexual passion. That is why KGB sent a group of young girls to him during his visit to Moscow. Those girls got acquainted with Ahmed Sukarno in a plane, under the disguise of air hostesses, then he invited them to his hotel room in Moscow and arranged a grand orgy. The orgy was filmed by two candid cameras that were fixed behind mirrors. It seemed that the operation was just perfect. Before starting the blackmail, KGB invited Sukarno in a small private movie theatre and showed him the pornographic video, in which he was playing the main part. KGB agents were expecting him to get really frightened, that he would agree to cooperate with them at once, but everything happened vice versa: Sukarno fondly decided that it was a gift from the Soviet government, so he asked for more copies to take them back to Indonesia and show them in movie theatres. Sukarno said to flabbergasted agents that the people of Indonesia would be very proud of him, if they could see him doing the nasty with Russian girls.
Ministry of Religious Affairs Scientific Boards summoned over 80 imams in 2005 for breaching morality, misappropriation of donations, absenteeism, delivering inciting sermons and serving political parties interests. Ten of the 80 imams have been discharged. Others have been punished by warnings, subtraction from wages or withdrawal of licences for voluntary imams.
Official sources disclosed that the implicated imams have been summoned to appear before the Ministry of Religious Affairs Scientific Boards following complaints sent by citizens, reports by Religious Affairs Directors, and police charge sheets. Imams are banned from preaching in mosques when the mistakes they commit are grave as when an imam caused the death of two girls by a Roqia (healing with Quran). The same sanction is imposed on imam is caught in flagrant act of breach of morality.
To call in 80 imams out of the existing 22 thousand means that the misdemeanours they have been accused of are intolerable since it concerns an important institution, namely the mosque, said the same sources adding that 80 to 90 imams are summoned each year. However, the number of the fired imams after investigations is reducing year after year. They were 18 imams to be laid off in 2004, and were just 10 the next year, same sources point out.
Note worthy that some imams has been submitted to pressure and even to physical attacks from political parties to force them to take positions serving the concerned parties and not the mosque. A few imams had refused to perform funeral prayer when the two Algerian diplomats were killed by al-Qaida in Iraq, when they were summoned by the Ministry of Religious Affairs Scientific Boards and questioned they justified their attitudes by social and family reasons.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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(SomaliNet) Egypt's Culture Minister, Farouk Hosni, was found not guilty of any crime after he uttered comments against the Islamic veil that is becoming a common feature amongst Egypt's women.
Egypt's predominantly Muslim population was irked by the comments. Further, Islamist Members of Egypt's parliament asked for the resignation of Hosni, a demand that he did not honour. Hosni did not apologise for his controversial remarks. When asked, "Does the ministry have a cultural policy against the headscarf?" by Egypt's Parliamentary Speaker, Fathi Sorour, he answered that such a move would be "wrong and crazy". Sorour then ruled that Hosni did not "did not pursue any policies against the headscarf, or take any decisions which prevent women from wearing it, including employees at the ministry of culture."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
It really is not very Islamic to let him off Scot free. There should be some small punishment, such as ripping his tongue out with a pliers. Got to set some example, ya know ?
(SomaliNet) Zimbabwe's Finance Minister, Herbert Murerwa, has foretold the growth of Zimbabwes economy by 0.5%-1%. He also expects Zimbabwes inflation to fall by 350%. Murerwa attributes the expected growth to "good weather, stabilising of commodity prices, improved mineral deposits and growing number of tourist arrivals.
According to him, Zimbabwe's agriculture sector will grow by 6.4% while the mining sector will grow by 4.9%. However, analysts say that Murerwa is being too optimistic. "The budget is still very shy to deal with issues affecting the economy such as high unemployment, foreign currency problems and inflation," Calisto Jokonya, president of Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) said. He is projecting a real growth rate of between 0,5 to one percent in 2007 premised on the anticipated improved perfomance of the mining and agriculture sectors which are expected to grow by 9,4 percent and 4,9 percent in 2007. It is interesting to note that the original projection for agriculture was 23 percent and this has been revised substantially downwards to 6,4 percent," Best Doroh, an economist with ZB financial holdings commented, adding that Murerwa was being overly optimistic.
Murerwa made these comments during the presentation of Zimbabwes budget. According to columnist, Bloch, the budget had a lot of words which mean nothing."
Posted by: Fred ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
He also expects Zimbabwes inflation to fall by 350%.
So what's that get it down to, about 1000%?
Nice job, Herbie!
#5
If you are white, you would have to be mad to go to Zimbabwe : if you were not attacked by one of the local gangs as a "settler", you would be propping up one of the most genocidal regimes on the continent. Besides which, deathwatch tourism is far too close to gladiatorial spectacles for any normal person.
#12
"Everything's fine! We've stopped to take on some ice, for the beverages, from this iceberg!"
Posted by: Captain of the Titanic ||
12/05/2006 16:37 Comments ||
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#13
Next year everybody will eat their neighbor so yes inflation will go down and the economy improve. See I made the positive report now eat the defense minister not me Robert.
LONDON - British intelligence officers are convinced that the Russian secret service authorised the poisoning of ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died last month, The Times reported on Tuesday. Citing security sources, the newspaper said that only officials such as agents of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) -- the KGBs successor would have access to sufficient amounts of the radioactive substance polonium-210 to kill Litvinenko. The former agents urine was found to have unexplained large quantities of polonium. Oh, I think it can be explained ...
We know how the FSB operates abroad and, based on the circumstances behind the death of Mr Litvinenko, the FSB has to be the prime suspect, an unnamed source was quoted as saying by The Times.
Security sources also told the newspaper that the FSB was likely to have used some of its former agents to carry out the operation.
A senior police source also told the newspaper that the method of killing Litvinenko, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was intended to send a message to his friends and allies. Its such a bad way to die, they must have known ... The sheer organisation involved could only have been managed by professionals adept at operating internationally, the source was quoted as saying.
Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?"
Blofeld: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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By REBECA ROMERO
Associated Press Imaginary Friend Writer
OAXACA, Mexico - Police arrested the symbolic leader of a six-month protest movement that took over the southern city of Oaxaca and left at least nine dead, hours after he said at a news conference in Mexico City that he'd gone to the capital to negotiate a peaceful solution.
Flavio Sosa _ whose heavy-set, bearded presence became an emblem of the leftist Oaxaca People's Assembly _ was arrested late Monday on charges related to the barricades, vandalism and irregular detentions carried out by some protesters.
"Sosa ... is known for his use of violence, damaging private property and public byways, and also burning vehicles and buildings in Oaxaca City," federal prosecutors said.
Sosa was charged with kidnapping, robbery, causing damages and injuries and taken to a maximum security prison just west of Mexico City that holds some of the nation's most dangerous prisoners.
Leaders of the Oaxaca People's Assembly, or APPO, have vowed to keep pressing for Gov. Ulises Ruiz's resignation and called for a "mega- march" Saturday to demand the release of Sosa and other protesters even as life there visibly returns to normal after burned-out vehicles and improvised barricades were removed from the streets.
Some residents warn that simmering discontent about poverty, injustice and oppression could erupt into violence again at any time.
Tomas Basaldu, Oaxacan state leader of Mexico's leftist Democratic Revolution Party, said he was meeting with the protesters.
"We will take action in the next few days," he said. "We won't lower our guard in backing the protesters."
The conflict began in late May as a strike by teachers seeking higher pay, but quickly exploded into a broader movement including Indian groups, students, farmers and myriad left-leaning activists claiming Ruiz rigged his electoral victory and has repressed opponents.
The conflict kept residents away from the city's historic center and forced nearly all the shops and restaurants to close their doors. Former President Vicente Fox in late October sent in federal troops, who cleared protesters from the streets.
Located about 325 miles southeast of Mexico City and featuring colonial architecture and Indian crafts, Oaxaca is one of the country's premier tourist destinations. But tourism plummeted amid the violence, which prompted the U.S. and several other foreign governments to warn their citizens against traveling to the city.
Before his arrest Monday, Sosa said he had come to Mexico City to try to re-establish negotiations with the government and to escape the "fierce persecution of the police and Ulises Ruiz' hit men," in Oaxaca.
Police called Sosa "the main leader" of the protest movement. Last month, he said everyone in the protest movement was equal _ "But my big beard and big stomach have made me become the favorite leader of the press and the police."
Sosa's brother, Horacio, was also arrested on unspecified charges.
Leaders who accompanied Sosa at the news conference said 220 protesters have been detained during the conflict, although police cite a figure of about 170. Protesters also claimed some detainees had been beaten, and that another 70 supporters of the movement are missing.
Among those killed in the protests was freelance video journalist from New York who was filming a clash between protesters and a group of armed men.
The violence seemed to come to a head last week when protesters set colonial-era buildings on fire, prompting police to begin arresting demonstrators. Many detainees have been transferred to a federal prison hundreds of miles away in Nayarit state, and many APPO leaders went into hiding after authorities issued warrants for their arrest.
#3
I have to admit, he IS ugly. He even makes me look good. Can we clone this guy?
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/05/2006 15:50 Comments ||
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I am wondering if Mexico is slipping inexorably into another civil war. Its problems are worse than Venezuela's, which led to the rise of Chavez; but Mexico won't bring in some radical to solve their problems. If the new el presidente is weak-kneed about combating all the crapola, something bad is going to happen.
Fiji's prime minister accused the military of in effect mounting a coup today - after troops disarmed the police, surrounded government buildings, and seized official cars from ministers.
Armed soldiers attempted to force their way into the residence of the prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, in the capital, Suva, as he met his cabinet. They were halted by bodyguards, witnesses told Reuters. "There is virtually a coup now taking place," Mr Qarase told New ZealandRadio. "They have strangled the police force, neutralised them; and now they are strangling the government machinery."
Yesterday's raids on police armouries, and troops appearing on the streets, escalated a crisis that has paralysed the Pacific island state for weeks.
Commodore Frank Bainimarama, head of the armed forces, visited President Ratu Josefa Iloilo earlier today, and Mr Qarase said the president could be decisive in determining the outcome. Mr Qarase has refused to meet Cdre Bainimarama's central demand that he resign, leading the latter to order a gradual takeover of the capital, Suva, since early Monday.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Virtually a coup? How much more coup-like do you think it's going to get?
Fiji's president has appealed to embattled Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to resign, as the military tightens its grip on the capital, local radio has reported.
The appeal by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo came after military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama visited the president this morning. Qarase, meeting in his home with members of his cabinet as troops surrounded the house, said a military takeover was inevitable and he was waiting to be taken into custody.
Qarase, in a radio interview, said he had been asked by the president to give in to all of the military's demands, or resign. However he said he had refused the request. Earlier, soldiers briefly secured the street around the prime minister's house in Suva and confiscated his vehicles.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
the Commodore sounds like a reasonable man. Ima looking for a little AOF patronage, perhaps Admiral, in charge of nubile young wymyns or some such. After all, I too am a reasonable man.
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/05/2006 9:02 Comments ||
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#2
Mr. Prime Minister: don't mess with Commodore Frank, 'cause he'll whup yo' a$$. He be an honorary Rantburger, ya see.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
12/05/2006 21:46 Comments ||
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#8
As they say in Texas, "Don't like the weather? Just wait a minute, it'll change."
Oh wait, that's now a Bad Thing...
I am calling for a moratorium on the tides. Rolling in and out all day causes me endless anxiety 'cos I see the li'l tidal critters having to constantly rebuild their homes. Won't somebody think of the baby clams?
#10
As they say in Texas, "Don't like the weather? Just wait a minute, it'll change."
lol, dot! Reminds me of the Top 10 ways you know you live in the south. Forget which # it was, but one of the reasons was:
You run both your heat and your air conditioning (cooling) in the SAME day!
Posted by: BA ||
12/05/2006 13:41 Comments ||
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True, BA - in the Dallas area we saw 40+ deg temp swings in a matter of hours there every year. Happened just the other day in Dallas with that front that swept across the eastern half of the US.
Texas, Okla, Kansas, Neb - the Warm Humid Gulf + the Blue Northers... flat as a pool table = Big Magic, and it would happen damned fast, too, lol.
When I was young and really crazy I used to take pictures of lightening. Huge black walls, called Supercells nowadays, would sweep down from the NW - and the leading edge would be lit up like a Christmas Tree from Hell. Got some good ones, lol. Also almost got fried twice, lol. Self-administered shock therapy, heh. Prolly why I'm so mellow, now. ;-)
#13
Couple things. Acid rain was real and in at least one city in Minnesota it is. Done around the Coke (sp?) plant south of Saint Paul you can't eat the snow. I've tried. Bent over and picked up some fresh powered. Folks it burned the inside of my mouth. And yes DDT was pretty fuvked up. It destroyed everything, both good and bad insects.
That being said, the MSM runs on two mottoes, if it bleeds it's a story and working Christian America sucks.
Screw these turds but don't let some of the basic science fool you. Just because they take a side doesn't make it false.
#14
LOL, Mick. Not to be done lightly, I assure you. Me 'n the Earthworms were quite "thrilled" by the experience conveyed to us by the wet ground / grass, lol. There were thousands of them writhing about above-ground after I finally regained my, um, composure, lol.
#15
Jeebus, dot. Quite the hair raising experience, eh? Too bad you're not a lil' younger and more emotional (like all LLL goons). You could video your experiences and post 'em to youtube.
And, we had the same swing in temps (albeit not quite as bad) when the cold front whipped through here. Highs in the lower 70s one day, then highs in the upper 40s the next. I full-on expected AlBore to show up on his Global Warming Climate Change World Tour and give a speech this morning, lol!
Posted by: BA ||
12/05/2006 15:44 Comments ||
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#16
DDT was a quite useful insecticide and it scored high marks for eradicating malaria-bearing mosquitoes in Africa and Latin America - so high that it is now being looked at again because malaria in those regions is so out of control.
Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" is credited with starting the modern ecology movement and ending the use of DDT - on the basis of what we now know to have been very unfounded pseudo-science.
In the meantime, since DDT was discontinued, tens of millions have died.
Does DDT kill many different insects, you betcha'. But what is the cost of a few billions of insects dead versus a few tens of millions of human beings?
#18
The first time I was stationed at Offut AFB (Omaha, Nebraska), DW and I used to sit out in front of the temporary quarters and watch the lightning storms across the Missouri in Iowa. Three months later, a tornado-like windstorm blew down half the trees we had to look over. Darth - another CoS resident here. We have crazy weather too, 15 for a high one day, 56 for the high the next!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
12/05/2006 23:13 Comments ||
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I believe this is called "whistling past the graveyard" - or something like that, lol.
By TIM HIGGINS - REGISTER STAFF WRITER Not a wire service. Wow.
Evan Bayh, visiting Des Moines today, said he wouldnt base his decision to officially run for the Democratic presidential nomination on who else enters the race.
The Indiana senator's visit comes on the heels of Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsacks official campaign kick-off last week and talk in the national media that high-profile Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are close to entering the race. Home-state popularity obviously important. Is it nice to be a celebrity and a frontrunner? Of course it is but I suspect that a year from now people will be looking for something other than that, Bayh told reporters in Des Moines.
He spoke to a couple dozen people at a lunch held by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Nearly as many members of the media, local and national, lined the rooms perimeter recording each word.
The Iowa caucuses in January 2008 are expected to kick of the nominating cycle and theres already noticeable buzz in Des Moines. Vilsack entered the race officially last week. East Coast media outlets are reporting that Clinton, a U.S. senator from New York, is talking with Democrats about a run. And Obama, an Illinois senator, is also thinking about it in a very public way with a visit this weekend to New Hampshire, which will likely hold the first-in-the-nation primary.
Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards is also moving toward a decision he was in Iowa just last week. Other potential candidates could include U.S. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic candidate, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Bayh said he will make his final decision to run shortly after the first of the year.
Ive done a lot of the things that are necessary for making a final decision, he said. But I want to sit down with my family one final time and make sure that from our collective standpoint its the right thing to do.
Checking the closet one last time, phoning the money men one last time...
#3
Considering some of the things that Tom Vilsack did to Iowa during his term as governor, I can't blame him for wanting to leave the state. A typical stunt that comes to mind is his deal with Illinois to resettle released felons from Joliette in Iowa City. Liberal Democrats in Iowa city are still trying to figure out why there has been a significant increase in all categories of crime over the last few years. Actively recruiting illegals to work in the meat packing plants (and vote Dem) also comes to mind.
#4
As for Evan Bayh, it has been a long time since Wendell Wilkie and even Wilkie had to change parties to get the nomination. Bayh is going through the painful process of becoming an aging boy wonder. The long slide to oblivion is not pleasant.
With the Democratic Congress expected to move quickly to raise the minimum wage, many Democrats, womens organizations and liberal groups are gearing up for a fight on another workplace issue: paid sick days.
Supporters point to studies showing that nearly half of American workers do not receive paid sick days. But many Republicans and businesses complain that such legislation would impose another mandate on companies, driving up their costs. Advocates of paid sick leave cite workers like Naomi Nakamura, who lost a weeks pay when her 103-degree fever forced her to miss five days from her job at a video rental store in San Francisco. Ms. Nakamura said, Some employees didnt want to lose their pay, so they showed up for work even though they had strep throat, and they just spread it to other people.
Last month, San Francisco voters approved a measure requiring all employers to provide paid sick days, making it the first jurisdiction in the nation with such a requirement. The vote was 61 percent to 39 percent.
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#1
My employer stopped offering sick leave, but increased personal/vacation days. Result is so-so: less vacation time used for "sick" days, but more people coming in to the office with colds, fevers, to avoid using up their personal/vacation time
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/05/2006 0:33 Comments ||
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#2
Using the power of the federal government to issue mandates are just a form of tax increase.
Republicans should engineer a much much larger acorss the board tax cut to counter this.
The left loves to use the term "revenue neutral" Let them demonstrate revenue neutrality.
#4
BTW, all of the 10 years I wuz doing the Single Dad routine I was self-employed. Th kid would go to the Public Cesspool, bring home some choice stuff and give it to me over dinner, then laugh it off. Meanwhile I was floored, lol. She never caught squat, heh - Little Miss Perfect Attendance.
#5
If sick leave is paid people will call in sick to the limit of the benefit. This has happend everywhere I've ever worked. I think allowing the employee the option of working extra to make up time lost due to illness would be a reasonable compromise.
#6
This is just another attempt to remove all financial risk from the worker and foist it on the employer.
And thus continues the march of "progressivism", where a kitty-puppy-fluffy world is promised where there is no such thing as adversity or sacrifice, and evreyone gets to live like kings in olden days, without having to struggle or make tough choices to get there.
Creating people who coast instead of push and achieve.
In 17 years of owning a business, I've missed exactly four days, two after tearing a joint tendon and two after the surgery to repair it. Did I have miserable times? Sure. But I rose to the occasion.
Also agree with comments about using "sick" days as de facto vacation days. I've noticed that in particular people under the age of 40 have a real chip on their shoulder about all time off being for the pursuit of animal pleasure, not for things like going to the doctor or dentist or accountant etc. Fifty years ago there were not many medical or dental clinics or lawyers or accountants were open nights or Saturdays, because people had their priorities straight and used some of their allotted time off from work to do those things during regular business hours.
Now the little fauntleroys who grew up in the post 1968 era act as though they're oppressed and life is so-o-o-o unfair if they have to use time off for work for anything but vacations and fun, fun, fun.
Another sign of disassociation from what originally made America great, I guess.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
12/05/2006 6:14 Comments ||
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#8
I guess I could lay off a couple people to get under the 15 employee minimum - Isn't that going to be a common financial decision for small businesses? Just like no longer hiring students and teens who aren't worth an increased minimum wage. The Dems and especially people like Kennedy, Kerry, etc. do what sounds good, but cannot see the real world results because they have never had a real job, nor had to work productively in their entire lives.
Posted by: Jim ||
12/05/2006 8:44 Comments ||
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#9
My Dad worked for the USPS for 42 years and never took a sick day - stubborn old coot.
#10
Advocates of paid sick leave cite workers like Naomi Nakamura, who lost a weeks pay when her 103-degree fever forced her to miss five days from her job at a video rental store in San Francisco.
5 days with a 103 degree fever?
Wouldn't she be, like, dead?
#11
I prefer having it all under PTO (paid time off). I don't get sick that much so I can burn it as vacation. Leave it up to the government to force everything on us.
You don't like their leave/sick policy lady, go work somewhere else bitch.
#12
Leonardo Prado, a restaurant worker in San Francisco, said not having paid sick days was a financial and emotional strain. Mr. Prado, who is divorced, said that last June when his 4-year-old, Antonio, got sick for two days, he had to hire a baby sitter for $10 an hour, even though he earned $8.82 an hour as a waiter, not counting tips. It really hurt in the wallet, Mr. Prado said. You didnt have the option to say: I cant work this day. I have to take care of my son.
I call BS on this one. I'm sure the average waiter makes a TON of money in high-falootin' San Fran. And, if he was ACTUALLY loosing money, I'd bet he'd have called in sick and just taken zero pay. No one in their right mind would work for $8something/hour only to pay out $10/hour to a babysitter with a sick kid at home. We'll except for the parent's of the year, with their 2 month old having a blood alcohol level of .34 something (see linky on page 4). Jim hits it too...lay off people to get just under 15 employees. BrerRabbit's compromise (#5) seems reasonable. Of course, it doesn't feel good, so it won't fly, lol!
Posted by: BA ||
12/05/2006 11:02 Comments ||
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#13
Actually, BrerRabbit, the contrary made the news and generated some controversy up here in Wisconsin. University faculty and staff have paid sick leave, and when they retire they can convert unused sick leave into medical premiums. Quite a lot of profs (and legislators) don't use all their sick leave. (I guess they enjoy their jobs.) The newspapers' spun this as costing the taxpayers extra.
Posted by: James ||
12/05/2006 16:45 Comments ||
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Three ships to be delivered by Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL) to the Indian Navy will have LAN connections with a 10g backbone.
A veteran in developing ships for the Indian defence, MDL had invited tenders for the project in 2005. The ships are being developed at the Mazgaon Docks.
CMC bagged the contract last Friday. The order is valued at Rs 7.4 crore.
Arvind Kumar, account manager at CMC said, "We will install LAN for three ships to be developed by MDL for the Indian Navy. We will do complete network integration for these three ships."
He added, "10g is a very special requirement. Installed in rare cases, the 10g backbone helps faster transmission and processing of data."
At present, most networks run on 1G platform and midrange servers from HP.
The OEMs for the project would be Dlink Foundry for switches and backbone, and passage components, HP for servers and Microsoft for software.
Kumar refused to divulge more details and said, "It is confidential since the ships are being developed for the Indian Navy."
The project involves two-tier network architecture with core and zonal switches. The zonal switches would be strategically implemented and connect to the core switch over 10G Ethernet over fiber. The delta connectivity created due to redundant link would also provide load sharing for entire traffic life.
Other bidders for the project were Wipro, HCL and Adlink (Singapore).
The project will be completed in three phases. Each ship will be taken up independently per phase.
Posted by: john ||
12/05/2006 18:34 ||
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#2
And their commander in chief - the Indian president, a pretty smart guy - a rocket scientist no less, has been touting Linux use and the benefits of open source...
Posted by: john ||
12/05/2006 18:42 Comments ||
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#3
I can see it...
General the chinese ship is behaving funny and we just got an email from them.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's highest court made it easier to deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants from the northeastern border state of Assam on Tuesday by repealing a controversial immigration law.
The Supreme Court repealed an Assam-specific legislation saying it was unconstitutional for a state to have laws different to those in the rest of the country.
Previously in Assam, the burden of proving that someone was an illegal immigrant lay with the accuser.
Now that burden of proof has been shifted to the accused, who will need to either prove their nationality or face deportation, bringing Assam into line with the rest of India.
Many Assamese say the change is necessary to stop poor, mostly Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh from illegally entering the oil- and tea-rich state in search of jobs.
"The Supreme Court judgement is a victory for the indigenous people of Assam and justice has been done to the people," said Sammujal Bhattacharjee, leader of the powerful All Assam Students Union, which campaigned for the change.
But the state's Muslim minority fears such a law will be used to harass them in a hunt for illegal immigrants.
New Delhi says millions of Bangladeshis have settled illegally in India, a large proportion of them in Assam.
Posted by: john ||
12/05/2006 18:14 ||
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#1
Shoot, at first I thought the headline referred to OUR Supreme Court - shoulda known better.
#3
Taking a dig at the Centre, the Bench of Justices SB Sinha and Markandeya Katju said, "There is a lack of will in the matter of ensuring that illegal immigrants are sent out of the country," and gave a four-month ultimatum to the Centre to implement its orders.
Posted by: john ||
12/05/2006 20:06 Comments ||
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The announcement on Monday of John R. Boltons decision to step down was greeted by United Nations officials with relief, while diplomats from other nations offered mixed assessments of his effectiveness during his 17 months as the American envoy.
No comment, he said with a smile, Mark Malloch Brown, the deputy secretary general, said over his shoulder to reporters as he hustled to a meeting. Mr. Malloch Brown had angered Mr. Bolton during the summer by accusing the United States of stealth diplomacy turning to the United Nations when Washington needed it while showing public disdain for the institution. At the time, Mr. Bolton demanded that Secretary General Kofi Annan personally and publicly repudiate Mr. Malloch Browns remarks, but Mr. Annan stood by them.
Mr. Boltons relationship with Mr. Annan was also marked by testiness, with the American repeatedly ducking opportunities to commend Mr. Annan by declining comment or saying, as he did last month, Ill pass.
Continued on Page 49
#1
Getting the USA PC ready for surrender to OWG + Motherly Commie Airborne, where Americans =Amerikans happily hugging each other and singing Kumbaya on way to the Gulag = Extermination Chambers is not only a Privelege of Any Each All and Every American = Amerikan, but a G ** D **** CHERISHED RIGHT AND BENEFIT.
See FREEREPUBLIC.com > ENERGYBULLETIN.net/com? article > CLOSING THE COLLAPSE GAP. "Collapse" of the USA. Author doesn't know how or why or whom, etc - IT JUST IS = IT JUST WILL.
One day in the future, infection may be fought by simply switching bacterial invaders off. At least, that's the promise of new technology out of a group at Yale University that's studying riboswitches--short sections of untranslated RNA that monitor small compounds in the cell-like nucleotides, amino acids and sugars--in order to control gene expression. This nascent technology, which is currently being tested on simple bacteria in the lab, may soon constitute a novel class of antibiotics, those wonderful "magic bullets" from the 20th century that suddenly are encountering resistance from evolving bacteria.
The majority of antibiotics thwart the bacterial cell by targeting either ribosomes to stop protein synthesis or the proteins involved in DNA replication. Some antibiotics work by interfering with the biosynthesis of cell walls, or with folate--a form of vitamin B integral to the maintenance of new cells. "There's no method addressing RNA-mediated gene regulation," notes Kenneth Blount, a postdoc researcher in cell biologist Ronald Breaker's lab and the first author on the riboswitch study, published in this week's issue of Nature Chemical Biology. Breaker's group sought to exploit riboswitches, which they first characterized in 2002. In the current study, they created variations in the amino acid lysine to target its class of riboswitch. "The drug compounds, if they're a good enough mimic of that metabolite, bind to the riboswitch and trick the cell into thinking that it's swimming in the metabolite, that it's rich in the metabolite, when in fact it's starving for it," Breaker explains. If the riboswitch believes there is an excess of lysine in the cell, it will shut off its production. Without lysine available, the bacteria will be unable to translate its RNA into proteins, which will halt its growth.
To accomplish this chemical deception, the Yale group started with a lysine molecule and made slight chemical modifications. These changes ran the gamut from replacing a carbon in its backbone with a sulfur or oxygen atom to attaching bulky groups on its end. The group then tested each version in a common soil bacterium, Bacillus subtilus, to see whether the lysine riboswitch would bind to them while the rest of the cell would ignore it, knowing that it wasn't actually the amino acid. The three versions that bound best involved the substitution at the position of the fourth carbon in the lysine chain. "It's sort of like a lock and key mechanism where there are a few positions where the riboswitch does not have a tumbler," Blount explains. "But there are other positions where if you change the key, it doesn't fit." Oddly enough, these configurations proved the most effective in quelling bacterial growth.
Continued on Page 49
#2
I didn't read the entire article, so I don't know if this addressed further down, but key will be to affect the invading bacterium, but not the native flora and fauna, and certainly not the body's own cells (please, please, please don't do anything that would impact my brain cells -- I'm pushing them to the limit as it is!).
A shipping company is planning to go back to the future, by harnessing wind power to boost the propulsion of its ocean-going container ships.
The "SkySail", a 160 square-metre kite tethered to a mast, has successfully undergone lengthy trial runs and now the shipowner, Beluga Shipping, of Bremen, Germany, is building the container vessel MV Beluga SkySails, equipped with one, to make its maiden voyage early next year. "I got the idea on a yacht a few years ago," Stephan Wrage, the inventor and founder of SkySails said. "I love flying kites and found sailing rather slow. I thought the enormous power in kites could somehow be utilised."
The technology he has developed is a throwback to an earlier age of maritime travel when ships relied solely on wind, but it addresses a key concern of the modern age: climate change.
Continued on Page 49
#3
When it comes to sailing, can a kite do anything other than "go large" (aka sail directly down wind)?
Seems that this wouldn't be any help other than straight downwind which would seem to be seldom, no? (My sailing knowledge comes solely from Patrick O'Brien novels)
#4
It seems to me that the best way to harness wind energy would be to mount vertical windmills on the deck to catch the wind from any direction, except when the ship is heading into the wind.
In turn, the energy generated by the windmills could provide electrical power that wouldn't have to be generated by fuel, saving energy.
#8
There were actualy several largish Yatch/boats built with a windmill providing the direct power to the propeller.
They were pretty good at sailing directly upwind (Normaly impossible) but otherwise simply not worth the effort.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
12/05/2006 20:13 Comments ||
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NASA announced Monday it will establish an international base camp on one of the moon's poles, permanently staffing it by 2024, four years after astronauts return to the moon.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/05/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Five yarns before APOPHIS, etc. and 5-9 years after Russia-China's "not only possible but desired" anti-US global nuke war???
#5
The plan makes sense. The poles will have the water (if anywhere). We just need to fire some inflatable modules up there, bury them in soil and we've got a base that's a lot cheaper and safer than the ISS.
...See, here's the problem: Mel Gibson's new flick Apocalypto is apparently a pretty good flick, at least how Hollyweird judges them, and it seems to have some moments that can be interpreted as being anti-war. The difficulty: Mel's a loudmouthed anti-semite with a drinking problem. How does the liberal film community handle this? Read on...
Personal note: I was REALLY looking forward to seeing this movie. Now I'm really looking forward to NOT seeing it. :(
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 4 With some early reviews lauding the audacity and innovation of Mel Gibsons bloody Mayan epic, Apocalypto, Hollywoods tight-knit community of Oscar voters may find itself facing a difficult dilemma in the coming weeks: Will they consider the film for an Academy Award?
Since Mr. Gibsons drunken tirade against Jews last summer, many people in Hollywood swore both publicly and privately that they would not work with him again or see his movies.
But that was before the critics began to weigh in on Apocalypto, a two-hour tale about a peaceful village of hunter-gatherers who are attacked and enslaved by the bloodthirsty overlords of their Meso-American civilization.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
12/05/2006 15:00 ||
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There's no dilemma for me, even if I am Jewish.
I've said lots worse when I was drunk. Anyways, the rest of Hollywood puts out bullshit movies. This one I want to see because my interest in Mayan culture was peaked by the History Channel's "Engineering an Empire". (Off topic, but Peter Weller should get an emmy for "Engineering an Empire".
#7
I wonder... if he were to say that he'd launched his anti-semitic tirade in solidarity with his Palestinian friends, do you think his Hollywood pals would welcome him back?
Posted by: James ||
12/05/2006 16:31 Comments ||
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#8
They'll give it the best foreign language film and chuckle that they ripped him off from getting an actual Oscar. They might even schedule best foreign language film to be an off-camera award this year if they really want to stick it to Mel.
Personally I'd like to see Flags of Our Fathers get a few awards. I liked that film.
#10
"The problem posed by Mr. Gibson touches on an age-old question of whether an artists personal behavior ought to be a factor in judging his or her work."
Woody Allen's behavour with his adopted 14 year old daughter didn't become a factor with the intertainment community.
Mel Gibson's drunken remarks are not morally equivalent to Woody Allen's statuary rape of his daughter.
Mel Gibson will always be a target of Hollywood for many reasons because of the success of his Christian film.
#13
USMC6743 you make a great point but forgot Roman Polanski. Seems even raping a minor wasn't enough for the oscar folks to avoid giving him an award a few years ago.
One of the reasons that the Passion was so successful was because Mel figured out (or stumbled into) how to get non-movie goers (i.e. people other than teenaged boys and blue state sophisticates) to go to a movie.
Like the Passion, Apocalypto has a very simple story, is very violent, and is very visual. And in both movies, the dialogue is delivered in an archaic language, something that should kill the movie, but oddly doesn't. Instead the archaic langauges make the movie seem very serious, makes the violence more acceptable because it's supposedly historically acurate.
Hence, for Mexicans and Guatemalans this is going to be a must see movie because it's about their history, and it's not another Anglophone production.
And because of Mel's fidelity to the original language and to using Latino and Indian actors it means that Mexicans can see this movie with a clear conscience, as the lead character is not being played by Jack Black in a dark wig and a silly accent.
So, Mel's probably thinking who cares if the critics like or dislike this movie, it's not intended for the audience that listens to critics, it's intended for an audience that sees themselves in this story.
And, if he's right, he'll have a huge hit on his hands, one that will succeed because he's once again convinced non-traditional movies goers to go to the movies.
Posted by: Mike ||
12/05/2006 20:59 Comments ||
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LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) -- Comedy Central has ordered "Lil' Bush: Resident of the United States," a cartoon satire that re-imagines President Bush and key executives in his administration as elementary school misfits.
The title character is surrounded by close pals like Lil' Cheney, who grumbles unintelligibly, and Lil' Condi, who pines for Lil' Bush and does his homework for him.
"Bush" is not without its risque moments. When Lil' Bush's school serves falafel instead of hot dogs for lunch in one episode, he and his pals torture the cafeteria employees with methods made famous during the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.
Six episodes from writer-producer Donick Cary ("The Simpsons") have been ordered to air on Comedy Central next year.
"Bush" got its start in September as six five-minute clips offered by Amp'd Mobile, a U.S.-based wireless service that packages video entertainment programming with cell phone service.
"Bush" represents an unlikely reversal of the one-way flow of programming from television to other digital platforms, where networks and studios are attempting to extend franchises in search of new revenue. That said, many a programmer has cited the Internet and mobile arenas as potential breeding grounds for fare that could translate back to TV.
"What's exciting as a developer is that content can come from so many places these days," said Lauren Corrao, executive VP original programming and development at Comedy Central.
Amp'd is licensing "Bush" to Comedy Central while retaining rights to air the series on its Comedy Central-branded video channel as well as an exclusive hold on wallpaper and ringtones that emerge from the series in any region Amp'd operates.
"We looked at it as an experiment to use mobile as an incubator that would pop to television," said Seth Cummings, senior VP content development and programming at Amp'd. "It's a huge validator right out of the gate because it's the first project we did."
"Bush" has gotten traction on viral video sites like YouTube, where the original episodes has drawn more than 230,000 streams. It won't be Comedy Central's first foray into devoting an entire series to poking fun at Bush. In 2001, the live-action spoof "That's My Bush," from "Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, had a short-lived run on the network.
This should make many folks happy. And keep them off the streets for short periods of time. And give them something to talk about. Kinda like Methadone for BDS.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
INDONESIA is grappling with its first real political sex scandal a widely circulated video of one of its most powerful politicians in a hotel room with a popular singer.
Ministry of Religious Affairs Scientific Boards summoned over 80 imams in 2005 for breaching morality, misappropriation of donations, absenteeism, delivering inciting sermons and serving political parties interests. Ten of the 80 imams have been discharged. Others have been punished by warnings, subtraction from wages or withdrawal of licences for voluntary imams. 
(SomaliNet) Egypt's Culture Minister, Farouk Hosni, was found not guilty of any crime after he uttered comments against the Islamic veil that is becoming a common feature amongst Egypt's women. 
(SomaliNet) Zimbabwe's Finance Minister, Herbert Murerwa, has foretold the growth of Zimbabwes economy by 0.5%-1%. He also expects Zimbabwes inflation to fall by 350%. Murerwa attributes the expected growth to "good weather, stabilising of commodity prices, improved mineral deposits and growing number of tourist arrivals. 
LONDON - British intelligence officers are convinced that the Russian secret service authorised the poisoning of ex-spy 
Fiji's prime minister accused the military of in effect mounting a coup today - after troops disarmed the police, surrounded government buildings, and seized official cars from ministers.
The announcement on Monday of John R. Boltons decision to step down was greeted by United Nations officials with relief, while diplomats from other nations offered mixed assessments of his effectiveness during his 17 months as the American envoy. 
A shipping company is planning to go back to the future, by harnessing wind power to boost the propulsion of its ocean-going container ships. 
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) -- Comedy Central has ordered "Lil' Bush: Resident of the United States," a cartoon satire that re-imagines President Bush and key executives in his administration as elementary school misfits.
