Friday/Weekend open thread

I’m buried under this afternoon – enjoy this open thread until I can return

TGIF!

Saturday Update: Got a lot of errand running to do today – be back later this afternoon/evening to blog some. Enjoy your Saturday!

24 Responses to "Friday/Weekend open thread"

NC Cop says:

October 20, 2006 at 4:00 pm

I’m the first one to post on this thread!!!!

NYAH!! NYAH!!
Baklava says:

October 20, 2006 at 4:55 pm

I’m the runner up.

With substance!

NYAH!! $\:d/$
Big Bang Hunter says:

October 20, 2006 at 5:03 pm

– I’m the back-up team, sweeping up all the bad jokes, mis-quotes, and handing out lollypops!

– Bang
benning says:

October 20, 2006 at 5:51 pm

So I’m only fourth? Sheesh! I wrote about how …we ain’t perfect, we won’t be perfect. If we cannot argue with somebody about the ideas they espouse, without taking shots at their imperfections as human beings, then perhaps it’s time we just shut the heck up. Any thoughts?
benning says:

October 20, 2006 at 5:55 pm

Baklava: How does the media keep getting sucked in? Are they so blind? Sheesh!
Drewsmom says:

October 20, 2006 at 6:00 pm

Well, I guess I’m # 6 to post so let’s see ….. any new scandals break today? Not to worry moonbats … there is still time to get on in so yall can yak all week-end.
Severian says:

October 20, 2006 at 7:04 pm

On a different note, once again, look at what our wonderful European allies, namely the French and Italians, are up to:

Italy and France to sell state of the art anti-aircraft system to Lebanon/Hizballah
Ryan says:

October 20, 2006 at 7:04 pm

As #7, I guess I can report that it’s currently 83 where I’m working in lovely Campbell, CA. There’s my exciting contribution to the open thread.
Severian says:

October 20, 2006 at 8:02 pm

Meanwhile, what was “the swimmer” Kennedy up to during the Reagan years?

Kennedy Wanted to Aid Soviets over Reagan

Holy Sheep!
NC Cop says:

October 20, 2006 at 8:32 pm

I saw where France was threatening to fire on Israeli planes over Lebanon. It’s amazing how willing they are to fire on Israeli planes but cower at the thought of standing up to Islamic extremism.

Of course, I’m sure everyone in Tel Aviv had a good laugh over that one.

“Hey guys, FRANCE is threatening to fire on our planes over Lebanon!!!!”
Mwalimu Daudi says:

October 20, 2006 at 9:43 pm

This is where I would have written a clever and witty comment – if I had been able to think of one.
Mwalimu Daudi says:

October 20, 2006 at 10:07 pm

On the other hand … who needs a sharp wit when there is the MSM to kick around?

CNN: Science reveals secrets of invisibility.

However, it turns out that CNN’s “cloak of invisibility” works only for blocking invisible microwave radiation. So if anyone is out there who sees only microwave radiation, you are doomed! BWHAHAHAHA!!!!

MSM journalists: Were they simply born ignorant, or did they study and work hard to get this stupid?
Big Bang Hunter says:

October 21, 2006 at 1:02 am

– On another front in science, scientists are working on a means through a bodily implant to allow humans to connect directly to their computers, and onto the internet, using only their minds. Your thoughts will be the interface letting you communicate, just using your head. Somehow I can see any number of pitfalls to this idea, not the least of which is impolitic thinking that might lead to a huge upswing in suits and divorces. Definately not using your head, in this case.

– The “cloak of invisibility” thing is one of those projects that science has a panchet for doing that comes under the heading of “sure we can do it, but who the hell would want to”. Something like the exploding Bomb-Bats of WWII that Los Alomos experimented with, or the perfect trash disposal that destroys everything including itself.

– Bang
Big Bang Hunter says:

October 21, 2006 at 1:49 am

– In connevtion with the Intel committe Democratic staffer put on suspension, pending investigation into the NIE leaks of the past week, “the sguiggler” has a pile of details concerning the background and affiliations of Larry Hanauer, the staffer in question here. there seems to be some indication that Mr.Hanauer was originally hired, after losing his post in the SECDEF office handling near east Israeli affairs.

– Yet more bubbles in the Jane Harman pond:

Time/CNN is reporting that “the FBI and Justice Departmentâ€¦ are examining whether Rep. Jane Harman of California and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) may have violated the law in a scheme to get Harman reappointed as the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, according to knowledgeable sources in and out of the U.S. government.” Harman claims to know nothing about it.

– Bang
Big Bang Hunter says:

October 21, 2006 at 1:55 am

– Further, since Congresswoman Harman is reportedly the one who hired him, the Israeli influence seems to be shaping up as a game of connect the dots.

– Bang
Big Bang Hunter says:

October 21, 2006 at 2:01 am

– fighting back against illegal immigration… scroll down to the “Mexican Tourism Ad“….

– Bang
Lorica says:

October 21, 2006 at 2:26 am

MD does that mean that if you had a coffee mug that had this invisbility, you would not be able to warm it in a microwave??? Seems kind of silly to me. Sorta like a modern day Monte Python skit. – Lorica
forest hunter says:

October 21, 2006 at 6:12 am

Mexican Tourism Ad: Would be really funny if it weren’t so true, eh Bang.
Severian says:

October 21, 2006 at 9:56 am

Before y’all start coming down so hard on the invisibility cloak study, remember that microwaves are what radar uses, and stealth technology, as currently implemented, only goes so far. A truly invisible to radar aircraft, ship, UAV, etc. is definitely an important thing to work towards. This is the first time metamaterials have been used like this, and while it’s a very preliminary experiment, it’s amazing how quickly they managed to get it to this point. This has huge potential, but expect it to take time to move from this very preliminary proof of concept experiment to somethign practical, but it has huge potential.
Great White Rat says:

October 21, 2006 at 10:45 am

Meanwhile, what was “the swimmer” Kennedy up to during the Reagan years?

Sev,

Oh, pfft. Who cares if the Cape Cod orca was actively working with the Soviets to frustrate American foreign policy? It’s not like he did someting serious, like, oh, maybe send a few suggestive Emails to congressional pages.

In any case, I’m sure we can count on our heroic media to put teams of investigative reporters on the Kennedy story to determine whether this Soviet memo is authentic, right? No doubt it’ll be the lead story in Sunday’s NYT and WaPo, and Katie will open the CBS nightly news with it for the next few weeks.
(/sarcasm)
Baklava says:

October 22, 2006 at 4:53 am

655,000 excess deaths? Lancet study creator Burnham was interviewed by Pajamas Media:

Look at this part of the interview:

PajamasMedia: The Lancet study uses a baseline mortality rate (the rate during Saddam years) of 5.5/1000 â€“ almost half of the mortality rate of Europe. The mortality rate in the EU is 10.10/1000. Given Europe’s excellent health care, public health infrastructure and, lack of war in the past 60 years, how is it possible that Iraq’s baseline is half that of the EU? Are you simply relying on pre-war publications or was the baseline itself generated by interviews with random clusters?

Burnham: This was a â€˜cohort’ study, which means we compared household deaths after the invasion with deaths before the invasion in the same households. The death rates for these comparison households was 5.5/1000/yr.

What we did find for the households as a pre-invasion death rate was essential the same number as we found in 2004, the same number as the CIA gives and the estimate for Iraq by the US Census Bureau.

Death rates are a function of many things—not just health of the population. One of the most important factors in the death rate is the number of elderly in the population. Iraq has few, and a death rate of 5.5/1000/yr in our calculation (5.3 for the CIA), the USA is 8 and Sweden is 11. This is an indication of how important the population structures are in determining death rates. (You might Google â€˜population pyramid’ and look at the census bureau site—fascinating stuff.)

PajamasMedia: During the same period, Iraq is at war with Iran and itself. Public-health infrastructure was poor, although perhaps not as poor as today. Does it seem plausible to you that the baseline (or pre-war) mortality rate is accurate?

Burnham: Yes as above. Yes as being the right number, and Yes as what we need it for—comparisons in the same households before the war.
Mwalimu Daudi says:

October 22, 2006 at 11:25 am

From the You-Cannot-Make-This-Stuff-Up category:

Convicted Sex Offender Chooses Canadian Exile Over Jail

Hey – if they can welcome draft-dodgers with open arms, why not “alternate lifestyle pioneers”?

Still, not even Canada deserves this. Sure, most of their leaders have been twits, but Martin is o.k.. Too bad it could not be France. Or Spain. Or Iran. Or North Korea. Or Syria. Or Venezuela.
Sister Toldjah says:

October 22, 2006 at 10:49 pm

Moved this OT comment to the open thread. –ST

– OT – “Ding dong – Is the witch dead? According to Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, he is. Read the rest here.

– Bang

Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 10/22/2006 – 10:47 pm
sanity says:

October 23, 2006 at 5:48 am

More remains are found at 911 site, calls from 911 families for immediate stop to building the memorial to search for more remains.

The medical examiner’s office said 18 pieces of remains were found Sunday. The bones found thus far range from tiny fragments to recognizable bones from skulls, torsos, feet and hands. Some are as large as whole arm and leg bones.

…

Some Sept. 11 families, however, called for the rebuilding to stop until the recovery is finished.

“Their actions say remains are not a priority, they’re secondary to the rebuilding” said Charles Wolf, who lost his wife and has never received any of her identified remains. “This is bringing up all the gnawing, gut-wrenching stuff inside us again.”

Workers uncover more remains at WTC site

The family members demanded that construction stop at ground zero until remains of all their loved ones are recovered. They also called for state and federal investigations into the failure to completely remove remains from ground zero.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called an emergency meeting at City Hall that included police, fire officials and the city medical examiner after the discovery of bones Thursday in a manhole in the 16-acre site. Remains as big as arm or leg bones were found, along with personal effects including at least one wallet, officials said.

NYC to look for more remains at WTC site

I think its right to stop all construction to completely go over and find all the remains they can. Why this was not done before plans and beginning of the memorial I do not know.

I am sure there are some outraged families out there that are frustrated with the lack of a complete search for remains of the victims of 911.

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