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May 31, 2005
What's Good for the Goose...
The gander is getting a good, close look in Congress:
Scrutiny of majority leader Tom DeLay's travel has led to the belated disclosure of at least 198 previously unreported special interest trips by House members and their aides, including eight years of travel by the second-ranking Democrat, an Associated Press review has found.The press did their best to turn this into a Delay bashing ceremony. DNC chief Howard Dean even called for Delay's imprisonment. One doesn't have to wonder long if Dean will call for like treatment for Pelosi and crew. Neither will the press long promote this story now that the Democrats have been shown to be as culpable as the Republicans.At least 43 House members and dozens of aides had failed to meet the one-month deadline in ethics rules for disclosing trips financed by organizations outside the US government.
Republican and Democratic House members were nearly equal rules violators in failing to disclose their personal trips within 30 days after the trip's completion. There were 23 GOP members, 19 Democrats, and one independent, all of them months or years late in their reporting to the House public records office.
Staff members for House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, disclosed 11 prior trips, while staff members for DeLay, Republican of Texas, had four. Representative John Linder of Georgia, a former chairman of the House Republican campaign organization, belatedly filed nine trips, as did Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California.
Posted by bubba138 at 11:28 AM | Comments (0) |
Doing the Enemy's Intel
One advantage about being al Qa'eda is that you can always count on the New York Times to do your intelligence work for you.
(Hat tip Hugh)
Posted by bubba138 at 10:59 AM | Comments (0) |
Deep Throat Revealed?
W. Mark Felt, who retired from the FBI after rising to its second most senior position, has identified himself as the "Deep Throat" source quoted by The Washington Post to break the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation, Vanity Fair magazine said Tuesday."I'm the guy they used to call Deep Throat," he told John D. O'Connor, the author of Vanity Fair's exclusive that appears in its July issue...
Carl Bernstein, who with Bob Woodward broke the story as Washington Post reporters, issued a statement neither denying nor confirming Felt's claim. Bernstein stated he and Woodward would be keeping their pledge to reveal the source only once that person dies.
Posted by bubba138 at 10:51 AM | Comments (0) |
Change on the German Horizon?
Gerhard Schroeder's position is at risk in upcoming elections in Germany:
Angela Merkel will challenge Gerhard Schroeder after being chosen by her Christian Democrats party as their candidate for the German chancellorship.Her economic strategy isn't much different than that of Schroeder, but there are distinctives:To cheers of "Angie, Angie!" from her followers, she set her sights on becoming the country's first woman leader. The Christian Democrats are well ahead in the opinion polls - 45per cent to the Social Democrats' 30per cent - and the general election is likely to be held as early as September 18.
Ms Merkel will offer a more pro-business and pro-US course. It will be easier for small companies to fire, and therefore hire, workers. Corporate taxes will be reduced.At this point, Merkel's party is polling very well:
All opinion polls show Merkel is on track to defeat Schroeder in the general elections expected for 18 September.Her Christian Democratic alliance (CDU/CSU) and its Free Democratic ally is polling between 51 and 53 percent, compared to 37 to 38 percent for Schroeder's ruling SPD-Greens coalition.
We all know that polls change over the course of an election, but a fourteen point lead is quite a margin to make up. This is going to be a fun election to watch.
Update: Video here.
Update II: Sunday's Telegraph features this sweet quote from Ms. Merkel:
Her dour childhood as a reluctant Communist sheds new light on why, unlike Mr Schröder, Mrs Merkel backed the US-led invasion of Iraq. "I know what it is when you don't have freedom," she said recently. "In the West, freedom is taken for granted. Fighting for it is not as necessary as it was for us."
Posted by bubba138 at 10:28 AM | Comments (0) |
Tuesday Photoblogging
The Children's Pool at La Jolla has, in the last several years, been taken over by seals. This has caused no small controversy between those who maintain the beach was created and dedicated for children and animal advocates who believe the seals should be given free reign no matter where they perch.
Regardless, the seal's presence on the beach afford us a spectacular opportunity to see these fun little creatures outside the confines of a zoo, and right now the beach is full of playful newborn pups.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:28 AM | Comments (0) |
May 30, 2005
Memorial Day Photoblogging
A lone soldier...
...pointing to heaven.
...also, check out Sallie's Memorial Day pics.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:51 AM | Comments (0) |
May 29, 2005
Weekend Photos
Posted by bubba138 at 08:28 AM | Comments (0) |
May 27, 2005
From the Department of Irony
Yes, but who's guarding the guards?
Thailand's nine anti-corruption commissioners were found guilty on Thursday of awarding themselves extra payments illegally, a court said.Don't worry, these guys won't be having an attack of conviction anytime soon:A panel of nine Supreme Court judges voted six to three to uphold an earlier finding against the nine commissioners of the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC), the country's top anti-graft watchdog.
It was not clear if the commissioners, who had denied the charges, would lose their jobs."I won't resign since this verdict won't disqualify me," NCCC commissioner Vichien Viriyaprasit told reporters after the court ruling.
Posted by bubba138 at 01:04 PM | Comments (0) |
Desecrating the Koran
At least 18 people were killed and 67 were wounded today when an explosion, possibly set off by a suicide bomber, ripped through a crowd at a Muslim shrine on the outskirts of Islamabad, officials and rescue workers said.The good news is that no Korans were desecrated in the making of this tragedy.It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the blast, but Pakistani officials suspected it might be the work of sectarian militants. Such attacks are frequent by extremists of the Sunni and Shiite Muslim sects.
The scene at the shrine was chaotic. The compound was littered with body parts. Shiite mourners, gathered in small circles, beat their chests and wailed.
So our souls can be at peace.
Update: In the mean-time, during war-time the U.S. is spending precious time, energy, and resources investigating Koran "mishandling."
It comforts me that we have our priorities straight.
Posted by bubba138 at 10:40 AM | Comments (0) |
Friday Photo Blogging
Way back in 1868 when San Diego was just beginning to gain footing as a major California city, a 1400 acre area of land was set aside for use as a public park by the leaders of the day. The vision for the park was to not only allow indiginous flora to thrive, but to also design walkways, roads, buildings and introduce other exotic plants that would combine to create a harmony both pleasing to the eye and peaceful to the soul. Today the almost 100 year old Spanish spires poking into the clouds still serve beautifully in functionality and form.
In 1910, a contest was held to change the name from City park to its Balboa Park, honoring Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Today a statue of Balboa appears in the center of the park.
As a kid, my mom would set aside one day in each week of summer vacation in which we would do something special. Most times that day was Wednesday, and every year we would get to Balboa Park at least once, and often several times during a vacation.
We loved walking through the Museum of Natural History because it was there we marvelled at ancient skeletons of powerful Dinosaurs.
Then it would be off to the San Diego Aerospace Museum where we would sour through the clouds with Charles Lindburgh in his Spirit of St. Louis. (Did you know that crazy contraption had no front window? The man literally flew the plane by its instruments and double checked his altitude by looking out a side window.)
The trip was often capped off by a visit to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, where learning science became an experience, not an excercise.
Balboa Park is more than just a place. It is a catalyst for imagination, a launching pad for inspiration, a glance back into the past and a gaze forward into the future.
Posted by bubba138 at 10:18 AM | Comments (0) |
May 24, 2005
Tuesday Photoblogging
It was a gorgeous day in San Diego county on Saturday. I did not have much time for photography, but I was able to steal an hour to get a few good ones in.
Saturday night found me back on trail in an attempt to learn how to capture a dynamic moon-rise. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a bust. If I let enough light in to get even the slightest detail from the horizon, the moon's brightness made it appear as if it were the sun instead. If I stopped the camera down enough to get a good "man-on-the-moon," the horizon turned completely black. So, there is more to learn there.
Yesterday started out with the May Gray that normally kills photographic opportunities. However, as I was driving to work past Santee Lakes I noticed a thin layer of moisture was visibly rising up from the water.
Gray overcast steals the dynamic shadows of early morning, but it also enhances contrast between the sky and the greens of leaves and bushes, causing them to really standout. It also adds a feeling of peacefulness and tranquility to the images.
Oh yeah, one last thing. If you would like more information about the camera settings used on each photo, just click on the 
icon and the ISO, f-stop, shutter speed, and other details will be shown.
Posted by bubba138 at 12:46 PM | Comments (0) |
Government Pork Spending
Here is a prime example of government waste:
Congress has refused to halt spending on a decade-old investigation of former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros despite Democratic senators' attempt to stop it.So we are spending $2 million a year to investigate a guy who copped a plea and paid his fine. The administration under which he served is long gone, but for some reason we keep chasing rabbits down this hole.A Senate provision that would have ended spending on the probe next month was killed during closed-door negotiations on a broader bill paying for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.
Cisneros admitted in 1999 that, when being considered for a Cabinet job, he lied to the FBI about how much he paid a former mistress. Cisneros, housing secretary from 1993-96, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was fined $10,000.
President Clinton pardoned him in January 2001.
One wonders how many of these little projects are going on and how much we could cut out of the budget if we put a stop to them. This is pure Republican politics at its worst.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:47 AM | Comments (0) |
Republican Hope In New York
The NY Times reports on an up-and-coming challenger to Hillary Clinton:
New York Republicans were in a rare mood of excitement and anticipation yesterday, after months of worrying that they might be left without a high-profile candidate if Gov. George E. Pataki chooses not to seek re-election next year.That's all fine and dandy, but seriously, Mrs. Clinton has been a stable, effective, and -- most importantly -- politically wise Senator. She has chosen her battles and for the most part stayed away from the fringes of her party. The angst of Kerry and Kennedy over the war in Iraq has been conspicously absent from her stated positions. It is going to take more than a bright, rising star to unseat Senator Clinton.Some went so far as to describe Ms. Pirro as this year's version of a younger Mr. Pataki, who was a little-known state senator in 1994 when, with the guidance of party strategists, he went on to vanquish a Democratic legend, Gov. Mario M. Cuomo.
"Jeanine could mount a tremendous challenge to Hillary Clinton, and I feel confident enough to say that Jeanine could beat her," said Stephen J. Minarik III, chairman of the New York State Republican Party. "Anyone who knows Jeanine recognizes her as the giant killer she would be."
Posted by bubba138 at 06:42 AM | Comments (0) |
The REAL Great Satan
America's military might isn't the greatest threat to Islam.
Update: Of course, Snopes was on this years ago:
In May 2000, the Grand Mufti Sheik Nasser Farid Wassel, Egypt’s most senior religious figure, gave his opinion on the matter. The artwork was also closely scrutinized by researchers and linguists at the Ifta’a Institute, a scholarly authority on Islamic law. All found no harm."The trademark does not injure Islam or Muslims directly or indirectly," the mufti ruled. In an official statement, he found that "the trademark was designed 114 years ago in the state of Georgia and was written in a foreign language, not in Arabic," and that "no one had objected until now."
Posted by bubba138 at 06:18 AM | Comments (0) |
May 20, 2005
Why I Can't Trust the Press
In the Washington Post we find this interesting article that discusses the "bi-partisan" effort to end the Senate deadlock over judicial nominations. Within the list of these "bi-partisan" Senators the name Robert Byrd appears.
Robert Byrd, bi-partisan? Hardly.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:24 AM | Comments (0) |
Driver's Licenses for Illegal Immigrants One Step Closer
Our pal Gil Cedillo has been busy since the President signed the REAL ID act last week:
The latest attempt to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants in California cleared a Senate committee but with provisions that restrict how the licenses can be used and what they would look like.Cedillo, of course, opposes any marking on the license that identifies the carrier as a person who is here illegally, but the newly passed Federal law requires that provision. Apparently the markings will prevent the licenses from being used as official identification when bording airplanes and the like.
Posted by bubba138 at 09:18 AM | Comments (0) |
Friday Photoblogging
By Wednesday the previously mentioned May Gray had burned off and the city was again awash in glorious beauty. As providence would have it, I was scheduled to do a wedding rehearsal on Coronado Island and it finished up in the late afternoon -- a perfect time for getting some shots.
One friend in the mid-west recently told me she's jealous of the place I live. With a year-round average temperture of 72 degrees, it is hard to argue against the assertion that San Diego is "America's Finest City". It truly is a remarkable place.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:17 AM | Comments (0) |
May 18, 2005
A Win-Win-Win Situation
Democracy has broken out in Ethiopia, and everybody is a winner:
Ethiopia's two main opposition parties claimed victory Wednesday in parliamentary elections seen as a test of the African nation's commitment to democracy, saying they have won enough seats to form a government.With everybody claiming victory someone is going to be very disappointed when the final tally is announced.The claim came a day after Ethiopia's ruling party said it had won just over half the parliamentary seats in Sunday's vote, acknowledging opposition gains but insisting it would remain in power.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:40 AM | Comments (0) |
"Vivid Light"
For the photo buffs out there, Vivid Light is an online photo magazine that is well worth checking out.
Posted by bubba138 at 06:59 AM | Comments (0) |
NEWSWEEK: Not Done Yet
Austin Bay says this won't be the last time NEWSWEEK plays fast and loose with the facts:
It will happen again, although, for the moment, Journalists will now take the pledge to sin no more. But it won’t last. It never does. Shown a big story, the temptation is always there to not look too closely, and just run with it. It’s made worse by the growing number of media outlets, and the growing influence of entrepreneurial web media, especially blogs.Sometimes it’s because of deadline pressures, sometimes because the journalist does not want to see the story get discredited too soon. For a lot of these stories, there’s a big upside, and not much of a downside. The news consumers don’t have much of a collective memory. Journalists know that. Make a mistake, count the cash, make an apology and move on.
That's a shame really. Especially if we take into consideration the long term effect of the NEWSWEEK report:
Brig. Gen. Mark Zirkelbach, deputy adjutant general of the Iowa Army National Guard, returned from a visit with the soldiers a couple of weeks ago.He said the Iowa troops are based around Afghanistan, providing security for civil affairs and reconstruction efforts.
"One of the things they've done for months and months is to take school supplies to areas where they're working," Zirkelbach said. "The soldiers are trying to build a trust relationship with the people there. All that work has been set back because of this Newsweek thing."
Posted by bubba138 at 06:37 AM | Comments (0) |
May 17, 2005
Flushed Qu'ran
Most of the blogosphere has already adequately handled the Newsweek/flushed Qu'ran story. I just want to point out two things. First, Newsweek should have had the integrity to explore and report on official U.S. policy regarding the Muslim's holy book -- policy that was handed down in written form over two years ago:
The three-page memorandum, dated Jan. 19, 2003, says that only Muslim chaplains and Muslim interpreters can handle the holy book, and only after putting on clean gloves in full view of detainees.The detailed rules require U.S. Muslim personnel to use both hands when touching the Koran to signal "respect and reverence," and specify that the right hand be the primary one used to manipulate any part of the book "due to cultural associations with the left hand." The Koran should be treated like a "fragile piece of delicate art," it says.
The memo, written a year after the first detainees were brought to Guantanamo from Afghanistan, reflects what U.S. officials said was a specific policy on handling the Koran, one of the most sensitive issues to Muslims. The Pentagon does not have a similar policy regarding any other major religious book and takes "extra precautions" on the Muslim holy book, officials said.
Second, as to the Muslims whose "righteous" anger has killed people, where were they when this happened:
Taleban Information Minister Qudratullah Jamal said Saturday that the fundamentalist Muslim movement's troops used rockets and mortars to destroy the head and legs of the sandstone statues, which are carved into the side of a cliff in central Afghanistan."Our soldiers are working hard to demolish their remaining parts. They will come down soon," Jamal said.
No independent confirmation of Jamal's comments was available, but they came after several reports that demolition of the statues had begun Friday. The Taleban, which rules more than 90 percent of the country, has ordered the statues destroyed as part of a campaign to rid the country of idolatrous and "un-Islamic" representations of the human form -- an interpretation even many Muslim countries have criticized.
In addition, more than half of the country's pre-Islamic "idols" have been smashed at historic sites around Afghanistan, Jamal said.
"They were easy to break apart and did not take much time," he said.
Update: Taranto points out another striking example of double-standard in today's Best of the Web:
Still, by way of comparison, recall that three years ago Palestinian Arab terrorists occupied the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Priests reported that "gunmen tore up Bibles for toilet paper," according to the Daily Camera of Boulder, Colo. The Chicago Tribune noted after the siege that "altars had been turned into cooking and eating tables, a sacrilege to the religious faithful."Christians in the U.S. responded by declining to riot and refraining from killing anyone.
Posted by bubba138 at 07:43 AM | Comments (0) |
Piano Man: Coming to a Theatre Near You
Count on this soon becoming a movie:
The tall, blond-haired man, who is in his 20s or early 30s, has not said a word since he was found, distressed and dressed in a dripping wet suit, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent county, southeast England, on April 7.When staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham gave him writing materials, he drew detailed pictures of a grand piano and, when shown the piano in the hospital chapel, sat down and played for two hours, causing staff to nickname him "Piano Man."
Posted by bubba138 at 07:26 AM | Comments (0) |
May 16, 2005
Who Was Mary?
According to Roman Catholic teaching, Mary (the mother of Jesus) was born without a sin nature, led a sinless life, ascended into heaven without dying bodily, and is co-redemptress -- in other words she shares the title and duty as supreme redeemer of our sins -- with Christ.
This teaching has been a central point of division between the Roman Catholics and the Protestant churches...until now, that is:
A group of Roman Catholic and Anglican leaders studying the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, said Monday that after years of talks they have agreed that Catholic teachings on the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Mary into heaven are consistent with Anglican interpretations of the Bible.It is hard to see how the complaints will "disappear." Paul argues that, other than Christ, "there is none righteous, no, not one." So it is difficult to argue from a biblical standpoint that Mary was without sin.
...But Anglican Archbishop Peter Carnley of Perth, Australia, co-chairman of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, said the Catholic dogmas concerning Mary is "consonant" with biblical teachings about hope and grace."For Anglicans, that old complaint that these dogmas were not provable by scripture will disappear," Carnley said during a news conference with Seattle's Catholic Archbishop, Alexander Brunett.
Peter and Jesus both declare that there is no other name by which man can be saved than Jesus. These statements certainly fall in contrast to the assertion that Mary is co-redemptress.
One can certainly argue these things about Mary, but not Biblically so.
Posted by bubba138 at 01:58 PM | Comments (0) |
May Gray / June Gloom
It was a busy weekend -- I attended a renewal of vows ceremony, performed the ceremony at another wedding, took the little one to a birthday party, etc -- so I did not spend much time behind the lens. Nevertheless, I did get a few good ones (the first five in my May album are new).
The last of the weekend's tasks was to drive my parents to the airport last night. On the way my dad mentioned he needed an image of the San Diego skyline for a website he is currently designing. While one can find such an image on the web, most are copyrighted and only for use if paid for.
"No problem," I said, "I'll take a few photos for you and you can use them at will."
The airport in San Diego is downtown and last night it was a cool, clear night -- perfect for capturing a dramatic nightscape. Unfortunately I had left the camera back at the house. That'll teach me.
"No matter," I said to myself. "I'll just get up early and catch the sunrise over the city from Coronado Island."
So at 5:00am this morning I hit the alarm, hit the showers, and prepared to hit the road. Then I looked out the window to find my plans spoiled by classic San Diego "May Gray/June Gloom." It is near impossible to get a good sunrise photo when one cannot see the sun. Ugh.
Posted by bubba138 at 08:54 AM | Comments (0) |
May 13, 2005
Sunrise...
...is an excellent time to get out and take photos. I take great pleasure getting out early before the world wakes up. There is something special when it is just me, the camera and God's creation. Being the only one to see an image come together before my eyes creates an atmosphere of intimacy between my Creator and myself that cannot be explained. Capturing that image is a privilege He sometimes allows me.
Today's lesson for me is that good sunrise photos depend heavily upon patience. So often I set up for what I think is going to be a great shot, do my business, get home to process the images and end up with a big YAWN. This morning I found out the reason for my inability to get just the right sunrise is because I am not waiting for the image to completely reveal itself.
The photo on the left is a case study of this problem. At the time I took this shot, I wanted to capture the sun just as it peaked over the top of the mountain. As I viewed the image in my camera I knew the shot needed more than just the mountain and the sun, so I backed into an alcove in the Visitor Center to create a frame on the bottom, left and top of the mountain. The shot looked good so I snapped the shutter and began to pack up. After all, I had to get to work and I did not want to be late.
Fortunately, something told me to not pack up too quickly. Five minutes or so later, I turned around to see the sun casting dramatic shadows onto the patio. All of a sudden I had no need to frame the shot as I did before, because the light and shadow provided all the interest needed. I also changed the angle of the shot to capture the curve of the fence and the shadow it was casting. The image on the right shows the fruit of patience is the difference between a spiritless image and one that is stimulating, interesting, and just plain pleasurable to look at.
Posted by bubba138 at 10:51 AM | Comments (0) |
May 12, 2005
S&A is Back?
That's what I said and then proceeded to not post anything for almost a week.
C'est la vie.
One of the greatest blessings of this life we live is that we have so many choices on how to spend the precious resource of time we have been given. One of the greatest curses is that all these choices compete against the others for preeminence. Finding the right balance is an art and a science which I have yet to master.
Speaking of mastery, I am fully engrossed in pursuing mastery of the lens. The fact that I am so far from that means I get to continually experience the joy of daily moving closer to the goal. This week I learned a new technique for using the sun itself to create natural highlights in flowers.
The technique, which I learned from this great site, is tons of fun because the challenge is to use available light and background without introducing a foreign object (such as black paper or dark cloth) to produce the desired effect. It forces the photographer to search for the right angle of sunlight, subject and background, turning the process into a puzzle -- and I love puzzles.
Most of the photos in my May Flowers gallery were taken at Mission Trails park in Santee, California. I love this park because (1) it is on my way home from work so I can stop there for twenty to sixty minutes to try new things and (2) it is huge so I can spend all day there on a Saturday and still be only minutes from my house. I have only scratched the surface of this 5800 acre park. (As fate would have it, this post led me for the first time to the park's website, where I found out there is a photo contest. I have seven days to submit an entry. Woohoo!)
Posted by bubba138 at 08:36 AM | Comments (0) |
May 06, 2005
S&A Is Back
It has been a gruellling couple of weeks, but the DNS switchover is finally complete and working correctly. Getting your DNS registration should be a slam-dunk operation, but sometimes it just does not work out that way.
In the meantime I have been busy with my new Rebel XT. I had been lusting after its sibling, the Digital Rebel, for the better part of a year. The wait was worth it because Canon announced the XT on the same day I was going to buy the Rebel. So I put the purchase off a couple of months until I had the extra cash to get the newer model.
I am pleased. The camera is (at this point) far beyond my capabilities. It has been ages (close to twenty years) since I have had to worry about f-stops, shutter speeds, depth-of-field and the like. I am having a blast re-learning the concepts. The best part is I don't have to step foot into a darkroom. All the image processing is on the comp-u-tator. Very cool. If you are interested, here is a gallery of recent work with the XT.
Posted by bubba138 at 06:47 AM | Comments (0) |