Base10Blog
Monday, January 31, 2005
 
This is What We're Fighting For

Read this Wapo account of a polling station in Baghdad that closed because of a suicied bomb. The station was forced to reopen because Iraqis gathered there to vote refused to go home.

Then tell be again why anyone would agree with windbag traitor jackass Senator Ted Kennedy's recommendation that America cut and run right before the election.

These people are well worth fighting for.
 
Is Sharansky Right?

The answer appears to be "yes." Natan Sharansky, author of The Case for Democracy, draws a distinction between "free" societies and "fear" societies. He defines a "fear" society as a repressive regime like the Soviet Union where he was himself an imprisoned refusenik. Sharansky describes the three types of persons in such a society: true believers, refuseniks, and double-thinkers. The true believers are obviously the group that internalizes the regime's methods--like the loyal Communist party members in the Soviet Union. The refuseniks are the group that openly speaks out against the regime regardless of the consequences. The middle group is that group of double-thinkers. He describes this group as those that mouth the words of the regime, but do not truly believe it.

Sharansky argues--much more eloquently than this author ever could--that a "fear" society spends a large amount of its resources in keeping the true believers from becoming jaded double-thinkers and from already jaded double-thinkers from becoming outright refuseniks. He also predicts that no matter what happens or how repressive the regime's tactics may be, the number of true believers will always be much smaller than an observer thinks and the ranks of the double-thinkers will be much larger.

Sharansky's argument seems to accurately reflect the situation in Iraq. The true believers--the militants--are a very small minority. The Iraqi electorate, even if comprised of some double thinkers--clearly rejected the militant views. The refuseniks in this case--the one's actively embracing democracy--are a much larger group than anybody expected.

Judging by his inaugural speech, President Bush has clearly internalized many of Sharansky's principles. This is one of the reasons Base10 thinks that George W. Bush will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents in the history of our nation.
 
Cross-Posts

Base10's alter ego has a couple of posts over at OmapBlog. Click here and here.
 
Base10's Eye Update

Base10 had his follow-up visit over the weekend and is happy to report that his cornea is much improved. The initial swelling went down and Base10's condition--unpronounceable by non-physicians--is highly manageable. The only thing is, Base10 has to rub salt in his eyes. No kidding! Saline in the eye at least twice a day and before bed. The saline makes your eyeball shrink slightly so that the lid does not attach itself to the epithelial cells on the surface of the cornea. That plus those "tear drop" things. Base10 still has to follow up with a cornea specialist, and if the symptoms keep recurring laser surgery may be necessary. That being said, so far, so good.
 
Where is the Reaction?

Base10 notices a distinct lack of major media coverage on the Iraq election. There's some, for sure, but I think the crash of the Marine helicopter got more coverage. Base10's impression was that the media was just waiting--maybe even hoping--for a disater to happen. It never did. Even mainstream media sources are at best mixed. Here's the lead paragraph to today's Al Jazeera AP account.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's interim leader called on his countrymen to set aside their differences Monday, while polling stations finished the first-phase count of millions of ballots from the weekend election that many Iraqis hope will usher in democracy and hasten the departure of 150,000 American troops.

Hasten the departure of the Americans, eh? That was an equal motive for voting along with ushering in democracy. That came out in a lot of the interviews I saw. Especially the ones where Iraqis were dancing and singing in celebration. Even the AP can't deny though that turnout appears to be around 57%. As much as tbe anti-American left will cry about "Sunni enfranchisement," voter turnout in Iraq was better than the US or even Israel--long seen as the bellweather nation in voter turnout.

The anti-Bush/anti-American themes appear to be the following:
  1. The Sunnis were not sufficiently enfranchised. This will lead to civil war.

  2. The vote does not create a democracy. Many countries that are not free have elections.

  3. The vote means nothing. The security situation will simply deteriorate further post-election

  4. If the vote is so successful, US forces should draw down now.



The responses to which are, in order, (1) no, (2) that's dumb, (3) maybe, maybe not, and (4) that's even dumber.
 
Server Down

Base10 apologizes that the server was down. I can't explain it. For some reson the server doesn't always start the network card on boot up. I put the blog back on BlogSpot for now. I installed Knoppix linux (most cool) on the Vaio and I'm trying to set up the web sever on that, but we'll see.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
 
AP Finds a Cloud Behind Every Silver Lining

An incredibly disingenuous AP article reviews the sentiment in the "Arab street" about the Iraq elections. Oddly, every regular citizen that they quoted believes it is a sham:

"This election is an American movie made to convince Iraqis to go to the polls so that the United States will stay in Iraq and control its oil," said Jordanian Mohammed Fakhri, 28, owner of a mobile phones shop. "There will be ... a government with Iraqi stooges serving U.S. and Israeli interests."

A veiled Egyptian flower vendor who gave her name only as Um Abdel Rahman dismissed the poll as "a sedative for the people. Democracy is just a decoration."

Wouldn't she like to participate in free elections? "Women speak their minds all the time. I don't need to vote," she said.

Even the quotes that seem positive, also warn of American greed and civil war.:
The elections are a "good omen for getting rid of dictatorship," Yemeni political science student Fathi al-Uraiqi said, chewing khat with friends. "But I hope America is not driven by its own interests but by a genuine desire to spread democracy in the rest of the region."

Mohammed al-Omran, a 21-year-old Saudi coffee shop manager, said the Shiites should be fair if they want to prevent the situation in Iraq from dissolving into civil war or partition.

"Saddam Hussein was hated because he persecuted (the Shiites). They should not do the same," he said, as he sipped coffee and smoked cigarettes.

Arab League spokesman Hossam Zaki said the election was a step forward, but added that Iraq, with its unstable security situation, was a "model to be avoided."

According to the AP the only Arabs that approve of democracy are intellectuals. Compare this quote,
Arab governments may not say it, but they don't want Iraq's democratic experiment to succeed," said Turki al-Hamad, a prominent Saudi columnist and former political science professor. "Such a success would embarrass them and present them with the dilemma of either changing or being changed."

With this one,
Writing in Beirut's Al-Anwar newspaper, political analyst Rafik Khoury said Arab governments who have criticized shortcomings of Iraq's elections, demanding that they be "honest and transparent ... themselves ban such elections for their own peoples."

But even the AP gets one right occassionally, the article concludes:
[An] Egyptian student, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, openly spoke about not trusting U.S. intentions in Iraq, saying the new Iraqi ruler "will be a follower of America."

But when asked if democracy can grow in Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak is widely expected to seek a fifth term in power, the 20-year-old looked over his shoulder and said: "Let's talk about Iraq. Let's stay away from talking about Egypt."

 
The Other Thing Ted Kennedy Wants to Get Out Of

There is a great parody of Ted Kennedy's speech about the Iraq "quagmire" where it's looking like 70% to 80% of the Iraqi people are voting. IowaHawk, the author, has a pretty good blog, and compares Iraq with--well--an Oldsmobile. Here's a sample,
Like all Americans, I had high hopes for the future of the Oldsmobile and its passengers, as we struggle against the onrushing water and its poorly-designed shoulder belts. But as claustrophobia sets in we must begin to sober up and face the truth: hope is no longer an option.

It is time for us to recognize that our continued presence in this volatile region is a hinderance to the Oldsmobile and its people. Rather than helping the situation we are further weighing down the Oldsmobile, causing it to sink faster and faster into the quagmire of Chappaquidick Bay, creating a dangerous situation for both ourselves as well as its passengers who are desperately seeking an air pocket in which to start a better life.

Via Little Green Footballs.
 
Even Better


 
Iraqis Give the Mainstream Media The Finger


And also give it to Ted Kennedy and the Dems.


 
So Far, So Good

The Iraqi elections are so far going along with extremely high turnout in some areas. There are reports of several bombings and mortar attacks with up to 36 Iraqis dead--not really much different from other days. Meanwhile, the mood in some places seems downright euphoric:
Turnout was brisk in Shiite Muslim and mixed Shiite-Sunni neighborhoods. Even in the small town of Askan in the so-called "triangle of death" south of Baghdad, 20 people waited in line at each of several polling centers. More walked toward the polls.

Rumors of impending violence were rife. When an unexplained boom sounded near one Baghdad voting station, some women put their hands to their mouths and whispered prayers. Others continued walking calmly to the voting stations. Several shouted in unison: "We have no fear."

"Am I scared? Of course I'm not scared. This is my country," said 50-year-old Fathiya Mohammed, wearing a head-to-toe abaya.

At one polling place in Baghdad, soldiers and voters joined hands in a dance, and in Baqouba, voters jumped and clapped to celebrate the historic day. At another, an Iraqi policeman in a black ski mask tucked his assault rifle under one arm and took the hand of an elderly blind woman, guiding her to the polls.

As is often the case, Scrappleface nails the issue perfectly.

(Scrappleface link via Instapundit)

Saturday, January 29, 2005
 
File This Under "No Kidding"

Researchers at Duke have discovered that if male monkeys have money, they will spend it to looks at pictures of female monkey's--how shall we say--tails. Presumably, female monkeys will also pay to watch male monkey's--how shall we say--probiscuses. Click here for more proof of evolution. Base10 wants to know whether they've ever put these monkeys in an AOL chatroom.
Friday, January 28, 2005
 
Ted Kennedy Gives Comfort to America's Enemies

On the eve of the first Iraqi elections, Teddy Kennedy--that most responsible of persons--has declared that the US must evacuate Iraq forthwith. Now, if I were a Baathist planning bombings for the Iraqi election, I would take this as a sign of victory: "Brothers, one of their Senators is calling for their withdrawal. Take Heart! We will be victorious if we only keep up the bombings before the elections."

But I am not a Baathist. I am an American. I am appalled by what Teddy has said--and more appalled by the timing. I know what all the liberals will say--he's just expressing a popular sentiment. But he did it right before the most important event in the history of Iraq. He gave comfort to the enemy and made a statement that allowed them to see victory in their sights.

Now Teddy will probably become preoccupied in the coming weeks. What with spring break coming up and the plentiful supply of scotch in Florida, he might stop interfering in foreign affairs--a subject about which he knows nothing--and instead settle into a cycle of easy women and booze--a subject about which he knows quite a bit. But by creating the talking point for the terrorists, he has already done enough damage.
 
Some Reporters Have Way Too Much Time on Their Hands

Cheney Criticized for Attire at Auschwitz Ceremony - Reuters

Just for the record, Cheney wore a parka to an outdoor ceremony. It was a 26 degree high and a 16 degree low in Krakow yesterday, but there's no mention of this fact in the CNN or Wapo piece. And Dick Cheney has had four heart attacks, another fact omitted in both CNN and Wapo. Mr. Vice-President, stay as warm as you want.
 
I am Shocked, Shocked, That There is Terrorism Going on Here

France Accuses Militants of Terror Plots - AP
 
Sunday Morning Shoutfest Preview

This Sunday appears to belong to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Chris Wallace will interview Dr. Rice on Fox News Sunday along with an on-the-ground-in-Iraq election report by Shepard Smith.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rice apparently still has access to that Defense Department space/time continuum matter teleportation device because she will also be appearing on This Week with that Greek Guy on ABC. Also making an apearance with be Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind).

Dr. Rice certainly wants to keep those wacky guys at DARPA busy with the teleporter, because she's also appearing on Face the Nation on CBS. Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind) and Joseph Biden (D-Del) round out the guests.

The DARPA guys are evidently not welcome at Meet the Press this weekend. Tim Russert has an exclusive interview with Sen. John Kerry for the entire hour. Base10 really questions the reason for this. It's not as if other news will be taking place at that moment, you know like the first elections in the history of a major Middle Eastern nation. Given that, why would anybody be interested in listening to Loser Liberal Democrat John Kerry blather on and on. Will he mentioned that he served in Vietnam? Of course a suspicious mind would take this as a set up if the Iraqi elections go horribly wrong. It will be about 6:30 or 7:00 PM in Baghdad at the time that Kerry makes his appearance. If the elections do go badly, that's basically giving Kerry an hour to rant about the President without presenting any opposing opinion. Nice going NBC!
 
Iraqi Voting (Con't)

There's a letter in the letters to the editor section of the WSJ today that's well worth reading (sorry, subscription only):
The Desire to Vote, The Fear of Terror
Farnaz Fassihi's page-one article yesterday about the Iraqi engineer Ayoub and his desire to vote is very interesting ("Hazardous Duty: For Iraqi Engineer, a Harrowing Choice: Whether to Vote"). The U.S. had a similar situation 40 years ago in our version of the Sunni Triangle, the American South. White supremacists attempted to suppress the black vote through terror and intimidation, including church bombings. Of course, back then, the American left stood in solidarity with the oppressed masses and mobilized to defend their right to vote.

It is absolutely shameful what has happened in the past 40 years to the left in America; their decline into moral relativism, more than anything, explains why the majority of Americans choose to follow President Bush toward a future in which people like Ayoub have a chance at freedom.

Stuart Creque
Moraga, Calif.

Thank you Mr. Creque, Base10 could not have said it any better.
 
They Could Even Drive a Goat Mad

Mad Cow Disease Found in French Goat, EU Says - Reuters
 
Base10's Eye Update

Base10's eye is coming along, but he has to go go back to NY Eye and Ear on Saturday. Base10 has to admit the drops are soothing, but the condition doesn't seem to be getting better as of yet.
 
Iraq Election Blogging

Roger L. Simon has an interesting take on the "vast" and "powerful" insurgency sowing the seeds of destruction on this weekend's Iraqi election. Good reading.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
 
And Now for a Look at Baseball...

The football season, that twenty-one weeks of ecstasy extended for two weeks by the Pro Bowl and the acursed Superbowl break, is soon coming to a close. What will Base10 do? Hockey is not even an option unless a miracle happens, and that is the subject of another post. At least the Daytona 500 might help to ease the pain.

But at the end of football, there is always the baseball season. The Mets have made some remarkable moves. Just a reminder, the exhibition games start on March 2nd and the Mets opener is Monday April 4th at Cincinnati while they're home opener is April 11 against Houston. Click here for more Mets schedule. More as time gets closer....
 
The Election Begins

Tim Blair reports that the Iraqi elections have begun--in Australia. This is obviously a good thng, but check out the moonbats.

Via Instapundit.
 
Auschwitz


Today is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army. Base10 has been thinking about what to write about this event. No words are appropriate except perhaps, "Never again."
 
I, For One, Welcome Our New Mutant Bunny Overlords!

Animal-Human Hybrids Spark Controversy - National Geographic News
 
Bias in Media Coverage of Iraq, You Say

Thomas Sowell has an interesting piece in the Baltimore Sun (soul-sucking registration required) about obvious bias in media coverage of the Iraq war. Sowell suggests that the blind focus on American casualties without commensurate coverage of US successes is a recipe for defeat.
If a battle ends with Americans killing a hundred guerrillas and terrorists, while sustaining 10 fatalities, that is an American victory. But not in the mainstream media. The headline is more likely to read: "Ten More Americans Killed in Iraq."

This kind of journalism can turn victory into defeat. Kept up long enough, it can even end up with real defeat, when support for the war collapses at home and abroad.

One of the biggest American victories during World War II was called "the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" because American fighter pilots shot down more than 340 Japanese planes over the Mariana Islands while losing just 30 American planes. But what if our current reporting practices had been used back then? The story, as printed and broadcast, could have been: "Today, 18 American pilots were killed and five more severely wounded as the Japanese blasted more than two dozen American planes out of the sky." A steady diet of that kind of one-sided reporting and our whole war effort against Japan might have collapsed.

Sowell's comments are especially appropriate today. Yesterday, President Bush gave a press conference and urged patience in the Iraq effort and that the elections were coming. The overwhelming media attention went to the helipopter crash that killed 31 marines in western Iraq. Believe me, Base10 hates the death of any soldier, but this was an aircraft accident not combat fatalities. Nevertheless here are some headlines from yesterday and today:

Iraq insurgents mount deadly attacks as Bush hails 'historic' vote - AFP (Base10 particularly likes the scare quotes around "historic" on this one).

Anti-Vote Violence in Iraq Is Intensifying, Latest Data Shows - NY Times

31 Americans Die as Marine Copter Goes Down in Iraq - NY Times

37 Troops Die on Deadliest Day in Iraq - ABC News

By the way, Sowell also uses one of Base10's favorite expressions: "The Fourth Estate sometimes seems more like a Fifth Column."
 
Jersey Jihad

Oliver Guitta has a good article in the Weekly Standard about the investigation--or rather lack of one--into the brutal murders of four Coptic Christian Arabs in Jersey City on January, 14th.

Base10 has not commented on this horrific case, but the forces of political correctness may be overtaking the forces of honesty in criminal investigations. Here's Guitta's description of the scene:
On Friday, January 14, 2005, police discovered the bodies of a family of four Egyptian Copts slain in their home. Hossam Armanious, 47, his wife, Amal, 37, and their daughters Sylvia, 15, and Monica, 8, had been bound, gagged, and their throats slit.

The motive for the quadruple slaying has not yet been established. FBI agents are assisting with the investigation. Hudson County prosecutors say the killers refrained from taking expensive jewelry, but Armanious's wallet had been emptied and his pockets turned out.

"We know that money was taken," said prosecutor Edward De Fazio. "Whether that was the primary motivation, we don't know. To think that someone would commit this type of crime for a small amount of money does not make sense."


Yet, Guitta continues, there is ample information to point to a motive of religious extremism.
Another possible motive that is being reviewed is religious hatred. Armanious was active in Internet chat rooms defending the Copts against Islamic extremists. The Coptic church, whose presence in Egypt goes back nearly 2,000 years, has suffered persecution off and on over the centuries, intensifying in the last 10 years. Armanious had reportedly received a death threat online: "We will hunt you down . . . and kill you." Investigators have taken a computer from the children's bedroom. And according to the New York Post, a relative of Jersey City mayor Jerramiah Healy said there was information the murders were "religion-related."

Additional disturbing details point in this direction. First, the brutality and methodology of the crime do not fit the profile for simple robbery but rather call to mind the Islamist killings of Western hostages like Daniel Pearl in Pakistan and Nick Berg in Iraq.

In addition, the investigators acknowledge that a relative of the victims had helped prosecutors in their case against lawyer Lynne Stewart, currently on trial in Manhattan for allegedly carrying messages for her imprisoned client, the blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, serving a life sentence for conspiring to blow up New York landmarks including the United Nations building.

The investigators downplay a possible connection between the Armanious case and the Stewart trial. What remains suggestive, however, is that the Armanious murder occurred in what some nickname "Terror City" because of its history of Islamic extremist activity.

Some commentators seem to be more concerned with reporting on a "backlash" against muslims. For example:

Jersey City Slaying Spurs New Wave Of Anti-Islam Bias - AP (via Jihadwatch)

Anti-Muslim Bias Renewed by Jersey City Murders - AOL News

Jersey City Slaying Spurs New Wave Of Anti-Islam Bias - WNBC

Thankfully, pundits like Guitta and Robert Spencer will not let the Jersey City District Attorney forget this case for the sake of winning an election in a largely Arab community.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
 
Base10 is Under the Weather

About a year ago, Base10 thought he was struck by a piece of small particulate matter in his eye. This explanation seemed very pausible since it was one of the windiest days in memory--the day the Staten Island Ferry crashed. It was so painful that Base10 went to the emergency room. Although initially misdiagnosed, he found his way to the NY Eye and Ear Infirmiry for treatment. It turns out that Base10 suffered from an infection to his eye and was treated. He recovered and thought no more of it until yesterday.

Yesterday, Base10 began to feel the same sort of symptoms--think of a small piece of glass struck between your eye and your lid--that's what it feels like. Anyway, Base10 returned to the infirmiry and was examined. Today they think it was not the orginal infection, but--excuse my lack of big scientific words--a bumpy cornea.

While the doctor did not rule out the previous infection for which I have to have some follow-up visits, he thinks it is actually the cornea condition. The good news is that this is better than the infection prognosis. The bad news: if it doesn't respond to drops it requires surgery--not an option Base10 is exactly thrilled about.

Well that's what Base10 did today. Posting will be limited. Right now the eye feels great since they put in drops to numb it, but the feeling is starting to come back now. In any event, looking at the computer screen is not that pleasant, so there may be a break. If I can put up some short items, I will.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
 
Maybe They Don't Read the Post at the Trib

"Fear eroding Iraqis' resolve to vote" - Jan 25, 2005, Chicago Tribune.

"Most Iraqis Remain Committed to Elections, Poll Finds" - Jan 21, 2005, Washington Post.
 
Why the Latency?

I notice that the initial load of the page seems sort of slow. I think this has to do with the power settings on my "new" server. The hard drive is probably going to sleep. After a slow initial load, the page seems to reload quickly since the hard drive is awake.
 
Moving Day!

It sure feels good to move into bigger quarters. If you haven't read it at my Blogspot site, that place will now serve as an archive/backup. Nothing against Blogger, but the web interface simply has too much latency for me. I also would like to have more control over individual files. We'll see how this works out. Feel free to leave some housewarming comments.
Monday, January 24, 2005
 
Legal Cross-post

Base10 has an important post about breaking legal news over in OmapBlog. It describes a very important legal development in Nevada. Base10 may be going to Vegas after this rulling!
 
Jets Update

Base10 supposes that speculation was right that Chad Pennington was playing hurt after coming back from a rotator cuff injury. The Jets announced today that he would undergo shoulder surgery in the off-season.

As Jets fans already know, Paul Hackett will not be back next season having been replaced by Mike Heimerdinger, the former offensive coordinator of the Tenn. Titans. Base10 doesn't know a lot about Heimerdinger, but has always been impressed by the Titans offensive game. Maybe a fresh Pennington coupled with a new offensive game plan is just the thing that the Jets need. In the meantime, Paul Hackett has reappeared in Tampa Bay.

The Jets have all but announced that they are putting the franchise tag on John Abraham if they cannot reach a deal. The speculation now revolves around Lamont Jordan. Qouth he,
I want to be here. It has been a roller coaster my four years and when I think about the fact that I might not be here, it's sad. The family atmosphere that we have here as players is something I haven't had in a while.... I was completely out of control during (training) camp. I think I let my frustrations get the best of me. But you know what, I had to go through that and I'm a lot better person and football player because of it.

It is unlikely that the Jets will be able to keep him, but Base10 hopes they can work something out. Base10 saw an interview with Herman Edwards last night and he seemed pretty positive they were going to keep him, so let's hope. The best thing about Jordan is that he could start with other teams--which is obviously the reason that he wants to move on and get more playing time.

The other key free agents include NT Jason Ferguson, RT Kareem McKenzie, TE Anthony Becht, DT Josh Evans, QB Quincy Carter, LB Kenyatta Wright, P Toby Gowin and CB Terrell Buckley. The only serious loss is with Kareem McKenzie, who may be a little high priced for the Jets, but nontheless was part of one of the best O-Lines in football this year. The rest will almost certainly be signed on the cheap or sent packing.

Jon Heyman, a sports columnist for Newday, suggests that now that the Jets have franchised John Abraham, they should go for broke and try to sign Randy Moss--rumour has it that Minnesota is quietly pursuing trade talks. Base10 doesn't think he agrees because players like Moss are poison for a team. The Jets probably couldn't afford him anyway.

In stadium news, the Times reports that Fernando Ferrer has called for a public referendum on the proposed west side stadium and convention center. I believe he'll get his way, I think it's called an election. Base10 caught Ferrer on News Forum on Sunday (sorry no link, just this Pressman bio) where he was interviewed by Gabe Pressman and I have to say, I have not seen a more softball interview from anybody other than Larry King. Ferrer went on and on about how Republican policies are hurting the city without so much as a peep from Pressman.

Other than the Superbowl, football will be dead for a while until the draft. Base10 will try to keep interest alive during the long night of the off-season by posting news of the Jets when any comes up.
 
Life Under Fedora Core

Fedora Core is certainly an interesting operating system, but I have to say that I think I prefer Suse (although I can't get the beast to work). It does work though, so I can't complain, although I just know that I messed up assigning permissions somewhere. I'd like to try installing Knoppix instead, but that also presents some problems. Anyway, the server wars are over for now. I will at some point upgrade to a real computer, but for now, I'm somewhat proud of myself for being able to get it working. The only concern I have now is if the dynamic IP updater is working properly, but I guess I'll find that out when it changes. Tonight we install the demo of NX Server and XDMCD Server and see how that goes.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
 
Superbowl Countdown

Well another season is in the books and Base10 is finally past the denial stage over his beloved Jets season-ender against Pittsburgh. Anyway, the Conference Championships today were not really that great. Philly dominated Atlanta for the whole game, winning 27-10. Then, in the matchup that everyone thought would be a war, New England crushed Pittsburgh 41-27. Base10 usually enjoys the conference championships more than the Superbowl, but frankly these games were nothing to write home about (hey maybe that should be nothing to blog about). The Superbowl matchup between Philly and New England does look intriguing, though. Early trading at Tradesports.com give New England a 70-30 edge, but a line hasn't been posted yet.

Well sports fans, we face the worst week of the year, the off-week before the big game. What exactly will we do next weekend?
 
So Long Karnak...

Base10 is sad to report that late night maven Johnny Carson passed away today. What can you say, other than that the world will be a much smaller place without him. I think it's great that there are 317 Google results for the phrase "Slauson Cutoff."
 
Success, Sort of

Base10 has done the seemingly impossible. He successfully installed Fedora Core linux on a Sony Vaio with no LCD monitor and no CD drive. However, he is still in testing. For this week at least,http://base10blog.blogspot.com and

http://www.base10blog.com

will both be up. I will eventually convert the Blogspot site to an archive/backup, but feel free to check out both. My complaints are that apache is not the easiest thing to configure under Fedora Core, and I still don't trust the dynamic DNS client that updates the page. (Check out DynDNS.org, it is a most useful service). In any event, stick with Blogspot for now, until I've thoroughly tested the configuration.

When that's done, it's on to Movable Type!
Saturday, January 22, 2005
 
Server Wrestling

Base10 has the oddest problem. Blogger simply will not work with FTP on a server running Windows ME. I don't know why. Base10 has decided that he will install Linux on the beast, or die trying. Well, the computer might die, not Base10. If all else fails, it's off to CompUSA for the clearance special desktop. Later.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
 
News from Serverland

Check out Base10's future home at http://www.base10blog.com

Base10 spent most of the day--between Inauguration Events of course--trying to tame his home server. His results, shall we say, failed to meet expectations. But he did get the beast up at least.

Home hosting? Hmmm. Let's see how long this lasts...
 
Blogging the Inauguration

Base10 got caught up with the pageantry of the inauguration and took off from work. Nice interview with Governor Arnold on NBC. He really is very poised. The first question was whether he supported a constitutional amendment to allow his to run for president. He gave a very tactful response.

Base10 is also wrestling with his server. Will write more soon, especially given that the Jets and Paul Hackett have parted ways--wheeeeeee!
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
 
Work, Work, Work

Base10 has not been posting so much the last couple of days. Still, no promised Jets wrapup for the year. (Maybe tonight after work). But Base10 has still been involved with blogging goodness. Diligently researching blogging tools, Base10 has a couple of choices:
  • Base10 bought his domain name, but still requires hosting. Herein lies the problem.

  • I could home host, but technically it's against the service agreement that I have with the Really Big Telecommunications Company that provides my DSL service. I'm also concerned that since upstream bandwidth is so low, home hosting might not be practical.

  • Then there's the question of platform. I don't want to go buy another computer, although that Mac-mini looks pretty cool! I have an old laptop that I'm using as a server, but for reasons I won't go into I can't upgrade it from Windows ME.

  • I can run Knoppix linux on it, but the installation leaves something to be desired. If I do this, it is still possible to use the Blogger API and SFTP the documents to my server which will then serve them up using Apache.

  • Another alternative is to get third-party hosting. This costs money too. But it does have the virtue of not having to mess with the machine at all.

  • Still another alternative is to upgrade my DSL account. I've been pricing some other providers, and it's about $100 a month for much higher speeds both upstream and down with no restrictions on ports (since the Really Big Company restricts incoming traffic on port 80). This is way cool, but the Really Big Company charges less than $40 a month--not very much at all.

  • In any event, what to do about Blogspot? I notice many people move off of Blogspot but keep their accounts there for backup/archive purposes.

  • So basically, I'm still undecided, but I'm probably going to at least try the home hosting in the near future.


In any event, for the bored, read my post today at OmapBlog ranking my top ten science fiction novels. OmapBlog is doing pretty well. Today we were linked by Donald Sensing which resulted in a sharp increase in traffic. I must say that I'm a little jealous.
Monday, January 17, 2005
 
Arghhhhhhh!

Base10 is still smarting from the Jets loss on Saturday. But now at least the beer and Jagermeister has finally worn off. Base10 still can't bring himself to look at the season in objective terms just yet. Maybe tomorrow. But Base10 was busy at work today, even though it was a holiday. In any event, since it is Martin Luther King Jr. day, here's a link to Letter from a Birmingham Jail. This essay is clearly one of King's greatest written works and is probably the most compelling justification for civil disobedience.

More tomorrow.
 
Check This Out

Base10 has taken the plunge. Type this into your browser (or just click on following link):

http://www.base10blog.com

Okay, granted it just redirects you back here, but Base10 has gone and done it and purchased his domain name. Private hosting soon to come!
Sunday, January 16, 2005
 
Jets Aftermath

Base10 is still smarting from the Jets playoff loss. He doesn't feel like writing about it right now, and anyway, the Jaegermeister and beer have not even worn off yet. Any way, fervent readers can check out my tech posting over at OmapBlog today. Check tomorrow for a proper NFL roundup.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
 
Freakin' Kickers!

The Steelers have moved the ball within field goal position. They're lining up now for a thirty-three yarder and the Jets call a timeout. Looks like this is the end. But maybe the Steelers kicker will suffer from the Doug Brien syndrome and not be able to hit anything. It's good. Steelers win. Arghhhhhhhhhhh! More later.
 
Jets Update

First possession in overtime, the Jets look like they complete a long third-and-long. The Jets got a generous spot, but it is close. The play is under review. Here he come ... First down! Hoo hoo!
 
And He Misses!

Brien just kicked--and missed--from the 22 yardline, sending the game into overtime. Arghhhhh!
 
Jets Update

Jets K Brien misses a 47 yard kick and the Steelers get the bal back. It looks like we're doomed, but on the next play, the Steelers throw a pick and the Jets get the ball back on their own 37. Brien better not miss it now! Score still tied at 17-17.
 
Jets Update

Six minutes left in the 4th quarter, but the Steelers just scored to tie it up at 17-17. Boo hoo.
 
4QTR Update

Jerome Bettis just fumbled and the Jets recovered. Hoo hoo again!
 
3QTR Update

There are a few minutes left in the third, but Reggie Tongue the free safety got a pick and ran it back for a TD. Hoo hoo! The score is now 17-10 Jets.

Better yet, Mrs. Base10 notes that Herm Edwards doesn't have that confused look on his face that he usually has on the sideline.
 
The Jets@Halftime

The game is tied 10-10 after a terrific punt return by Santana Moss tacken in for a touchdown. The second half begins.
 
Light Posting

Base10 is going to be spending his morning and early afternoon fiddling with his 'deck. (Two words: Knoppix CD). He will post some things a little later, perhaps. In the meantime, check out this article in the Opinion Journal on the growing conservatism on college campuses. The students apparently, are striking back!

This doesn't really surprise Base10. The real activism on campuses is not driven by the undergraduates, but rather by the faculty and the soon to be faculty graduate students. I'm glad that the fact that campus politics is not monolithic is finally getting reported.
 
Eight Hours

Base10 is paiently counting the minutes until the 4:30 PM NFL playoff matchup between the Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Click here for a preview. The current line has the Steelers laying 8 and 1/2. When Base10 checked Tradesports last night, it was about the same.

All the commentators seem to think the Jets have no chance. Base10 holds out hope. The Jets have a tough defense and will be hard to score against. Pittsburgh also has a strong defense, but Jets QB Chad Pennington seems eager to make up for a lackluster performance in their last meeting. Methinks that if the Jets can keep it close, they can win the game.

Jet fans have been lowering expectations all week. That's fine, but any team can win in the NFL. As someone pointed out (I don't remember who said it or I would credit them), eventually Ben "Impossible to spell" Roethlisberger will lose a game. Also, eventually the Jets will win one in Pittsburgh. Why not today? As a Jet fan, I for one am getting sick of playing Pittsburgh seemingly every single year.

In any event, it's a good weekend in football. Tonight, St. Louis faces Atlanta, which should be a veritable touchdown-fest. Tomorrow, the early game pits hurting powerhouses Minnesota against Philly with the four o'clock game everyone is waiting for, New England vs. Indy.

All Base10 can say is that he will post after the game. Of course, he may be in no condition to write anything coherent, but readers will just have to accept this.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
 
Tenn. School Allows Girls to Wear a Symbol of Female Subservience

Tenn. School Allows Muslim Headscarves - AP.
 
And, Who Cares Exactly?

FDR's Grandson Protests Soc. Security Ad - AP.

Then again, maybe he's right. Maybe we should preserve a system that systematically raids the pockets of workers and gives them a pittance when they retire. We should preserve this system inspite of the financial ruin it will eventually wreak upon the national economy and the lives of future workers. We should do this all because it would preserve the blessed memory of FDR. Just keep telling yourself, "There's no crisis. There's no crisis."


 
Don't Try This in England

I think this is very funny. I think the "comedian" (note the scare quotes) wanted footage to make fun of red-state Americans. I guess they didn't get quite what they were looking for. I hope they show the actually footage of what happened.
 
That's No Way To Get Your Fifty Virgins

This is interesting. The LA Times reports that the fierce fighting in Fallujah on the part of the insurgents may not have been due to religious fervor at all. Apparently the terrorists had some "mother's little helpers" too. Along with weapons, troops reported finding caches of amphetamines, adrenaline, and even crack pipes. This is very intriguing since drugs are strictly harem--forbidden to devout Muslims. There's speculation that the drug trade and drug smuggling could be one of the ways the insurgency is raising money. This is definitely bad PR for them in the Muslim world.
 
By All Means, Let's Start with Sadaam

The moonbats over at Human Rights Watch want prosecutions for the human rights violations in Darfur and Abu Graib.
[T]he U.S.-based organization ... said the response to Darfur and Abu Ghraib was critical to the worldwide system for protecting human rights.

"The vitality of global human rights depends on a firm response to each -- on stopping the Sudanese government's slaughter in Darfur and on fully investigating and prosecuting all those responsible for torture and mistreatment in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo," it said.

I applaud Human Rights Watch for drawing a moral equivalency between the attempted genocide of millions in Darfur and the sophmoric pranks in Abu Graib. But HRW is right, why condemn mass murderers unequivocally when you can also smear President Bush in the same breath. Perhaps HRW is only trying to save word processing time by combining two memos, one condemning the White House (not that they would notice since they're in the midst of the biggest humanitarian aid effort of all time) and one condemning the Sudanese government.

But here's a thought. Let the first prosecutions in Iraq be against the worst offender. I wonder if Human Rights Watch can think of anybody to start with?

And oh yeah, we are prosecuting those who violated the law at Abu Graib. I'm so glad HRW called for this. It seems, no thanks to HRW, that the "worldwide system to protect human rights" begins and ends in the United States.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
 
Ingrates!

Indonesian officials have told our country that they want the US military presence out of Indonesia by March. How nice! After so many of our troops along with Australia, New Zealand and others are working 24/7 to help them. Maybe we should leave now and leave it to the numbnuts over at the UN to carry out operations? Yeah, they have all those helicopters and aircraft carriers, they can do it. US personnel should tell every relief victim they come in contact with that they would stay as long as necessary, but the Indonesian government wants them to stop.
 
Trash Talk from a Kicker? and other NFL News

In what will certainly fire up New England this weekend, Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt actually trash-talked the New England Patriots. Earning the moniker "Vanderjerk" from at least one of the Pats squad (and probably a few more), Vanderjagt said the Pats were "ripe for the picking" and also that "they're not as good as the beginning of the year and not as good as last year." This is the team that earned a first round bye, you know. Pats players should not take this seriously though. This was just the kicker. Who cares what the kicker thinks? However, Base10 does suspect that these quotes will be plastered all over the Pats locker room.

You would think that a professional athlete would not engage in such stupid banter. Especially given his team's struggles at Foxboro. Let's see, "dome boy" Peyton Manning will likely have to play in frigid open-air conditions this weekend. And he'll have to play against one of the most resourceful defenses in the NFL. We'll see who's ripe, Mr. V.

Meanwhile, all is not rosy in Jetland. Chad Pennington was down with a stomach virus today. Oh no! Did he contract it from Base10? Mrs. Base10 believes it is simply a manifestation of "Jets Fever." After Base10 experienced high fever and vomiting early Monday morning, he certainly sympathizes with Chad. Take heart, Boys in Green, the virus clears up the next day.

In other playoff news, Ben "Unspellable Last Name" Roethlisberger pledged his playoff game check to the tsunami relief effort and hopes that other players do the same. Way to go, Ben!
 
The Party May Not Be Dead, But it Sure is Campy

Once again at the interstices of politics and science fiction, there is a very funny item by Peter Wood in National Review comparing the Democratic Party to the camp film--well that's an extremely charitable description--Robot Monster. Words don't do this justice.

Via OmapBlog.
 
The Death of the Party

Howard Fineman has an interesting piece in Newsweek about the death of the MSM. He calls it the AMMP (American Mainstream Media Party) and how it may have outgrown its usefulness. Interesting take on the issue. I particularly like his comments on the emerging opposition party: Blogger Nation.
 
Privacy and Technology

There is an intersting article on Slashdot about the warrantless use of a GPS device to track and apprehend a criminal after NY State Police secreted the device in his car. Although I have not read the decision, the reasoning seems to be that there is no expectation of privacy in the location of your vehicle on the open road. Here's to a NY judge that actaully makes sense. Why not use GPS devices? Everyone would agree that a court order is not needed for surveillance by a couple of detectives. Why should it be required for GPS? Some, of course, think that the purpose of the law is to stymie the police at every opportunity or at the very least make it as difficult as possible to catch criminals.

Here is a link to the somewhat alarmist posting on Slashdot. Here's a link to the original C-Net news story.
 
NYPD Get Kudos

At least in City Journal...
Charles Upton Sahm writes in City Journal that the NYPD is the cause of a veritable revolution in policing. (Let's not let our left-wing friends hear that)! The teaser paragraph sums up well,
Everybody knows about the NYPD’s breathtaking crime-fighting successes over the last decade. Less well known is that NYPD-trained police chiefs are taking over police departments across the country, bringing with them the methods that worked so well in Gotham—above all, data-driven policing—and getting similar results.

The article goes on to describe the NYPD's influence around the country. There's actually quite a good sampling of law enforcement issues in the City Journal today.
 
More Gay Lincoln

After discussing the gay Lincoln issue around the office today, I was referred to this article by the ever readable Victor Davis Hanson about the bisexual title character portrayed in Oliver Stone's flop film, Alexander. Although he often writes about politics, Hanson is a classical scholar, and paints a detailed picture of sexual life in Alexander's time. The bottom line is that it is impossible to use 21st century sensibilities--let alone labels--to explain sexual mores of an age that ended thousands of years ago. The same may be true of Lincoln's age.
 
Iraqi Forces Make Arrests

Yahoo/Reuters reports that Iraqi forces have captured six supects in the recent assasination of Baghdad's provincial governor. Readers should note that the arrests resulted from a tip by neighbors to a Baghdad safehouse where the suspects were hiding. The article notes snarkily, "The capture of gunmen involved in the Jan. 4 killing of Governor Ali al-Haidri would mark a rare U.S. intelligence success against loosely knit guerrilla cells that strike almost at will and have proved difficult to penetrate." Rare US intelligence success? How about Fallujah? How about Najaf?
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
 
Rather be a Jackass

Base10 cannot believe the response of Dan Rather to the CBS Memogate investigation. Read it here on Drudge. Dan, come on! Will you take no responsibility? While you lament the careers of the colleagues that were cut short, do you not accept any personal responsibility for their predicament. This statement just proves everything negative anybody ever had to say about you. What's the frequency again?
 
An Even Gayer Lincoln

In light of the previous post, in spite of my technical objections about the Gay Lincoln book, the more I think about it, the idea of a gay Abe Lincoln is pretty funny. I don't mean a discreet in-the-closet-and-staying-there kind of gay. I mean like Will and Grace flamboyant-lisping-overkill gay. Can you imagine Lincoln in the Oval Office discussing the war and hitting on U.S. Grant? General, forget the Confederacy for a moment, has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes? Come on, the comedic possibilities are endless! Better yet, how about Lincoln in drag? Now that's funny! Picture Sam Waterston wearing a sundress and belting out a Liza Minelli tune. I wonder if this topic will make it to SNL this weekend? Or is it too sensitive a topic?
 
Gives New Meaning the Phrase "Lincoln Logs"

Check out my post today about the new book, The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln by C.A. Tripp in OmapBlog.
Monday, January 10, 2005
 
Washington State Elections

While he's been following the story, Base10 hasn't written about the situation in Washington State. The gubernatorial election is still being challenged. The nominal winner, Democrat Christine Gregoire, defeated Republican Dino Ross by 129 votes after three recounts, the first two of which were won by Rossi and the third paid for by the Democrats. Although due to be sworn in on Wednesday, Rossi is appealing the results and it may result in a re-vote.

There were many, many discrepancies in the electoral process in Washington and I'm afraid the situation stinks of Democratic big-city machine politics. There's a good roundup of the discrepancies in John Fund's column in the Opinion Journal.

This is particularly ironic given the recent moonbat objection raised by Barbara Boxer over certification of the electoral college results for Ohio. Where are Boxer and her fellow blue-staters condemning the shenanigans in Washington. Apparently they only get outraged when Republicans win. There's an election reform movement afoot on the left, click here for an example, but Dems would probably lose more by cutting out election fraud than Republicans (i.e. no double absentee student ballots, no votes from the dead, etc.), so bring on reform!
 
Speaking of Baseball...

The Mets have reportedly signed Carlos Beltran to a seven-year $119 million contract. Here's a link to the story on Yahoo. Base10 would normally be happy about this, but since the Mets have a history of signing former All-Stars who seem to come to New York to die, let's just say the jury is out. Well, we'll see. It is good to see that the Mets are willing to make some major moves in the off-season instead of the fantasy baseball game they played in years past.
 
The Big Unit?

Well he's a big something. Randy Johnson is not even officially a Yankee yet, but he's already getting media attention, New York style. Johnson apparently had some words with a CBS cameraman as he left for his physical this morning. He's got a bit of an attitude for someone that hasn't pitched a inning here yet. He should try to engender good will on the part of the media as much as possible, because they'll turn on you as soon as you have a slump. Here's a link to the page with the video.
 
I Always Thought He Liked Country...

Bush: I'd welcome Abbas to White House - Washington Times.

Unfortunately, the band members were noncomittal.

 
Brains! Must Eat Brains!
"Firm Says It Collected Brains Ethically" - AP
BETHESDA, Md. - A company that collects brains for medical research says it did nothing wrong in paying a six-figure sum to a onetime Maine state employee who supplied dozens of specimens.

And then there's this. Let's hope they're not related.
 
The Future of DNA Testing

There's an interesting story on Yahoo/Reuters about the effort of local police to DNA test every male resident of a Cape Cod town to solve a 3 yera-old murder case. While the testing is voluntary, police have said that they will pay close attention to those who refuse. The body of the murder victim, Christa Worthington, was discovered in 2002, at her Truro MA, home with her 2-year-old toddler at her side. No leads are active in the case. Predictably, the ACLU is upset,
"This is a particularly insidious form of coercion because it attaches a penalty to the assertion of one's constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches," Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) of Massachusetts, said in a statement.

"There are many legitimate privacy reasons why an innocent person may not agree to a DNA test."

In a letter to local prosecutors and police, Rose's group urged a halt to the "DNA dragnet," calling it a "serious intrusion" on personal privacy.

The letter raised questions about the possibility that samples may be entered into a state or federal DNA database without donors' knowledge or consent and questioned whether the effort would be worth the cost, which it estimated at $80,000.

Moreover, the letter cited a University of Nebraska study released last year that concluded that DNA sweeps of possible criminal suspects are "extremely unproductive."

What would the reasons for keeping one's DNA secret in this situation possibly be?

 
The Future of the NCAA Bowl Championship Series

Fred Barnes has a great piece this week in the Weekly Standard about possible playoff scenarios that could be adopted by the NCAA in lieu of the current stupid BCS system. Yes, that Fred Barnes. Yes, in the Weekly Standard. I agree with Fred Barnes's college football analysis, as I often agree with his political analysis. The BCS must be reformed, and there is no justification for not having a playoff system like those that exist in every other NCAA sports including Division 1-AA, II and III. It is only a matter of time.

There's also a goo item by Duncan Currie listing undefeated teams that were spurned in the BCS title games. Really, it's the Weekly Standard.
 
The Future of Political Cartoons

Lileks has an interesting discussion of political cartoons in today's bleat. I tend to agree with him on the point that the medium has become tired and outdated. He doesn't even go into hate-filled Marxists like Ted Rall. I almost didn't include that link.
 
The Future of Palestine

There is a very thought-provoking piece by Bret Stephens in the Opinion Journal about the Paletinian elections. In case you haven't been following the news, Abu Mazen (aka Abu Abbas) won the election by a large majority. However, the victory was marred by relatively low voter turnout of about 30%. So the post-Arafat Palestine is official.

Abbas's election raises troubling questions. During the run-up to the polls, Abbas made some very strident statements calling Israel the "Zionist enemy" and promising a right of return to Paestinian refugees. Abbas was also seen campaigning with armed militants in Jenin, including one wanted for murder by Israel, and promised them protection from Israel. But many believe, including Stephens, that Abbas will lead to fundamental reform. President Bush has even noted that Abbas will be welcome at the White House.

I suppose that observers should hope for the best. Base10 believes that there is a long road ahead to take the Palestinian state into the mainstream. If Abbas is trully committed to this, he can start it down that road. How far down that road he gets is a different story. It seems obvious that some kind of civil war is going to happen in Gaza between Hamas and Fatah. Whether it will be long and bloody or short and decisive remains to be seen. Maybe the peace process can get back on track, but don't be surprised by setbacks.
 
Tie a Yellow Ribbon...

This item appeared in Best of the Web this past Thursday. (Hey I was sick, remember)? It pertains to a planned protest of the Presidential innauguration this month,
An outfit called United for Peace and Justice is actually planning an Inauguration Day protest. And if you can't make it to Washington, you can still join in:

UFPJ also encourages everyone to wear a white ribbon on January 20, no matter where you are or what you are doing. In many cultures, white is the traditional color of mourning.

Of course, the joke is on these losers, who apparently are unaware that in our culture, white is the traditional color of surrender.


Pretty funny stuff. Read the whole thing.
 
No Surprise Here

The AP announced that the NFL MVP award goes to Peyton Manning, his second in two years. This comes as no surprise since Manning not only broke but shattered several TD records this season. Congrats, Peyton!
 
Jets News

The proposed westside stadium and convention center received another shot in the arm today. The City Council approved the zoning change necessary for the development. Although not applicable to the stadium site itself, it paves the way to commercial development of the surrounding area. The Jets are one step closer to comming home!

In other Jets news, due to the Indy victory over Denver yesterday, the Jets face Pittsburgh at 4:30 next Saturday. Click here for a recap of the Jets OT thrilla' in San Diego. The Jets are currently 9 point dogs.

On a sad football note, after yesterday's Green Bay loss to Minnesota, rumours swirl about Brett Favre's possible retirement. It must be difficult for an elite athlete to finally make that mental leap and decide that they are just too old to continue playing at the level that they are accustomed. I think Favre should go out while he's still on top, with a playoff berth. But I hate to think of that game as the last time we're going to see Brett Favre play a football game.
 
More Dumb Tsunami Quotes

Arthur Chrenkoff has a great follow-up listing even more of the stupidest things people could possible have said about the tsunami. Base10's favorite is number thirteen, a quote from an Egyptian newspaper:
Was [the earthquake] caused by American, Israeli, and Indian nuclear testing on 'the day of horror?' Why did the 'Ring of Fire' explode?... The three most recent [nuclear] tests appeared to be genuine American and Israeli preparations to act together with India to test a way to liquidate humanity.

Damn those Hindu Zionists.


Click the above link and read the whole thing. Some of the quotes are priceless. Click here for his original dopey quote list.

Speaking of Arthur Chrenkoff, read this piece today in the Opinion Journal for his regular collection of good news from Afghanistan.
 
Sick Blogging in the City

Base10 is still under the weather. Although the flu appeared to be getting better yesterday, Base10 had a major relapse last night. Fever and other attendant symptoms. Anyway, there is some news this morning, various sources are reporting that the long awaited CBS report investigating the Rathergate scandal at 60 Minutes has been released. You have to give CBS a little credit, they didn't wait until the 4:45 PM on Friday to do it.

Click here for the news story, click here for the full report. Bottom line, CBS fired four employees: three executives and Mary Mapes, the producer for the original piece. I'm sure this is going to be floating around the blogosphere all day.

Via Instapundit.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
 
All is Right With the World!

Base10's beloved New York Football Jets are alive for next week. The Jets defeated the Chargers in overtime 20-17 in the first minutes of Sunday. Hurrah! Base10 has been down with the flu all day, but is cheering right now. More tomorrow on he Jets and for the Sunday Morning Shoutfest.
Friday, January 07, 2005
 
Not a Good Friday...

But a Friday nonetheless! Well another week over and here is Base10 after he has once again neglected his readers to post in that other blog. Fear not. Tomorrow is a new day. Especially for the New York Football Jets, who kickoff about 8PM. Hoo hoo!

Base10 spent the day wrestling with his computer network at work. It is likely that one or more of the machines became infected with a worm and began spewing spam outso fast that it soaked up all our bandwith. After replacing a faulty hub, replacing a router, and blocking port 25, the problem appears to be alleviated, at least for now. But startng Monday, we must isolate the machine and sterilize it. (I feel like Nomad from Star Trek).

Speaking of Star Trek, there were many, many comments made at work today about Scotty fixing the computers. Aye, Captain, the computers are most certainly down. Even they must obey the laws of physics man! Oh well, there could be worse comparisons.

In any event, on tomorrow's agenda, there will be an NFL playoff preview and more comments on this week in punditry. To keep yourselves occupied until then, please read this post by my colleague over at OmapBlog. It is a comment on an hysterical piece by Daniel Henninger in the Opinion Journal about how some artists on the left seem to think that New York was so great in the 70's. I know I would have liked to have sat with my kids in Bryant Park in 1979. That is of course if we could have found a place to sit that wasn't occupied by lounging drug addicts or covered with hypodermic needles. Those sure were the days!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
 
Cross-Posting Heaven

Base10's alter ego in OmapBlog complained about UN claims that the US is "stingy." After reading more, plenty of bloggers have been been linking to Diplomadic and the posts here, here and here. Base10's favorite quote,
Aussies and Yanks continue to carry the overwhelming bulk of the burden, but some other fine folks also have jumped in: e.g., the New Zealanders have provided C-130 lift and an excellent and much-needed potable water distribution system; the Singaporeans have provided great helo support; the Indians have a hospital ship taking position off Sumatra. Spain and Netherlands have sent aircraft with supplies. The UN continues to send its best product, bureaucrats. Just today the city's Embassies got a letter from the local UN representative requesting a meeting for "Ms. Margareeta Wahlstrom, United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and the Secretary-General's Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance in Tsunami-afected countries." Wow! Put that on a business card! And she must be really, really special because she has the word "coordinator" twice in her title!

The UN Is not just impolite, it's downright incompetent. Then there's this too,
In these times of gentleness and political correctness, we all must acknowledge that we're all special in our own way. We each do what we can best do. Americans and Australians are good at saving lives and the world; the UN is good at asking for money and going to conferences. We're sure both talents are equally valid; we shouldn't judge one better or worse than the other.

Also, check out this item about the "Pioneer Anomaly. " Most curious, Mr. Data!
 
Police News Roundup

I would like to resurrect this feature, perhaps in a different form with just headlines and links. Here are todays major headlines concerning the NYPD.
(Headlines provided by Mike B., links provided by yours truly).

Kin: Suicide cop haunted by probe
BY AUSTIN FENNER - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Daily News

OFFICERS HAIL TRAGIC COP
By ERIN CALABRESE and BILL HOFFMANN - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Post

Narc wounds gunman in Bx. shootout
BY NANCY DILLON and ALISON GENDAR - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Daily News

OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTS 'GUNMAN'
By JOE MOLLICA and LARRY CELONA - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Post

Off-Duty Officer Shoots Man With Gun In The Bronx
The Associated Press - Monday, January 3rd, 2005 NY 1 News

BRONX: DETECTIVE SHOOTS SUSPECT
Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Times Metro Briefs:

Rudy OK, Kerik KOd by mayor
BY DAVID SALTONSTALL - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Daily News

City Cites Gains in Combating School Violence
By SUSAN SAULNY - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Times

CLASS STRUGGLE
By DAVID ANDREATTA - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Post

When the Weight of the Evidence Shifts
By BOB HERBERT - Monday, January 3rd, 2005 N.Y. Times Op/Ed Page

FDNY'S BAD APPLES
By SAM SMITH - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Post

Union prez Cassidy plays with fire
Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Daily News Editorial

Tour the Big House, Plans for a museum on Sing Sing grounds
BY TRACY CONNOR - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Daily News

TASER SHARES' ZIG-ZAG MOVES KEEP INVESTORS STUNNED
By PAUL THARP - Tuesday, January 4th, 2005 N.Y. Post

 
The Boob is Back

For a good overview of Bernard Kerik's rise and fall, see this item in The New Yorker. Best quote from Henry Stern,
Officials have gotten into trouble for sexual misconduct, abusing their authority, personal bankruptcy, failure to file documents, waste of public funds, receiving substantial unrecorded gifts, and association with organized crime figures. It is rare for anyone to be under fire on all seven of the above issues.

That about summarizes the whole thing. Via OmapBlog. While there, read my post on US "stinginess."
Monday, January 03, 2005
 
US Military Rescues Dozens in Indonesia

The AP reports that US helicopters transported dozens of tsunami survivors to safety from remote areas in Indonesia.

KARIM RAJIA, Indonesia - U.S. helicopters rescued dozens of desperate and weak tsunami survivors, including a young girl clutching a stuffed Snoopy dog, as the American military relief operation reached out to remote areas of Indonesia with cartons of food and water on Monday.

Although the United States was not among the first at the scene after last week's natural disaster thousands of miles from American shores, it is now spearheading the international relief effort and delivering more supplies than any other nation. A U.S. warship strike group carrying thousands more Marines was headed in to help.

"Look at that, look at that! It's so big!" shouted a 6-year-old girl, Khairunisa, as a U.S. Hercules cargo plane roared over Banda Aceh, the capital of Sumatra island's devastated Aceh province and the base of the aid operation in Indonesia.

 
No Joy in Mudville (Special Post-Season Edition)

There is little joy in Mudville this day. Base10's beloved Jets continue to struggle in the late season, failing to put away St. Louis in overtime. Gang Green lost 32-29 in OT. Click here for the recap. While there was much rending of garments and gnashing of teeth in Jet Country there was a bright side. By virtue of Buffalo's loss to Pittsburgh, the Jets still made the playoffs.

In spite of their recent swoon, the Jets still won 10 games this year, an admirable feat. However, these games were generally against teams that were weak at the time. There are bright spots as well. Curtis Martin won the NFL Rushing title by one yard in what can only be described as a premiere performance. The other good thing is that the Jets did not lay down. Their game went late. About a half-hour before the end--well before OT began--the Buffalo game seemed all but over and the Jets playoff aspirations met. However, the Jets kept playing to win. Although their fate was already decided, the team did not give up. The football gods often smile on this sort of thing.

Next Saturday at eight o'clock, the Jets face San Diego at San Diego. Jets fans will certainly go into this game with some misgivings. But hey, better playing next week than not. Base10 hopes for a victory over San Diego only for one reason: a rematch against New England. Click here for a preliminary preview.

Meanwhile, on the Giants side of Mudville, there was a bit of joy. In a meaningless Sunday night matchup between Big Blue and the Cowboys, the Giants handed Eli Manning his first win on a Tiki Barber rush at the very end of regulation. The Giants sewed it up 28-24. Click here for the recap. For nostalgic Jet fans, it was also probably the last game that will be started by Vinny Testaverde. Always a gentleman, Testaverde was always the kind of player you would want your children to emulate. Happy Trails, Vinny!

Tiki Barber also got a little bit of history yesterday. He broke the franchise single season and career rushing records. Not shabby considering it's the Giants, who have always been a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust sort of team. Tiki also won the all purpose yards from scrimage title. At least they will have that to think about as they golf and attend to other affairs through the long off-season.

In other NFL news, Seattle RB Shaun Alexander felt betrayed. He lost the rushing title to Curtis Martin by one yard and described the play calling as being "stabbed in the back." He later apologized for the comments, but it's fair to say that some people in Seattle agree with Alexander.

Well the playoffs are upon us and Base10 promises more playoff analysis as the week wears on. There is no Monday Night Football tonight, but gridiron fans can take comfort in watching the Sugar Bowl. As Base10 composes this, Auburn is beating Virginia Tech 6-0. Tomorrow night of course is the Big Game for the National Championship. More on tomorrow's game, well, tomorrow.

 
Top Science Fiction on Television?
Check out my post over at OMAPBlog about my Top 10 list of television science fiction shows.
 
Good News From Iraq

The Opinion Journal has a good pice by Arthur Chrenkoff about recent good news out of Iraq. Two things are particularly touching. In the first,
[T]here 's an ad on Iraqi TV, which "declares January 30th is Iraq's 'date with fate and duty.' It shows masked gunmen confronting an elderly man in an alley. He stands firm and is joined by others who eventually outnumber the militants. As the Iraqi national anthem swells in the background, the ad proclaims, 'We are not afraid. We are not alone. Our power is in our unity.' "


Second is this project which put digital cameras in the hands of ordinary Iraqis,
[T]hree Americans (two filmmakers and a former Marine) distributed 150 digital video cameras to ordinary Iraqis, asking them to record anything they considered worthwhile and then pass the cameras on to others. The resulting 450 hours of footage from 2,000 Iraqis was distilled into an 80-minute documentary, "Voices of Iraq." As Jacoby writes, the documentary "is by turns heartbreaking, exhilarating, and inspiring. The war and its destruction is never far from the surface. . . . But bad as the war is, the horror it ended--Saddam's 24-year reign--was worse. . . . Yet for all they have been through, Iraqis come across as incredibly optimistic, hopeful, and enthusiastic. And above all, normal."


This comes on the heals of a trial balloon being floated by the Iraqi Interim Foreign Minister stating that the election could be delayed to secure greater Sunni cooperation. The US however seems to be dismissive of the idea. Indeed, it would be a mistake to delay it.

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