Phil's Observations

Courtesy of

BEIRUT, Lebanon — With shouts of "Syria out!" 25,000 protesters massed outside Parliament in a dramatic display of defiance that forced out Lebanon's pro-Syrian prime minister and Cabinet Monday, two weeks after the assassination of a popular politician touched off increasing unrest.
Minutes after Prime Minister Omar Karami announced he was stepping down, jubilant demonstrators — shouting, waving flags and handing red roses to soldiers — demanded that Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud bow out, too, and pressed on with their calls for Syria to withdraw its troops from the country.
Syria remained silent about the rapidly changing atmosphere in Beirut, where it ruled unopposed for years, even deciding on Lebanon's leaders, after deploying troops ostensibly as peacekeepers during the 1975-90 civil war.
But the dramatic developments — reminiscent of Ukraine's peaceful "orange revolution" and broadcast live across the Arab world — could provoke a strong response from Syria, which keeps 15,000 troops in Lebanon. It also could plunge this nation of 3.5 million back into a period of uncertainty, political vacuum or worse.
Like their counterparts in Ukraine, the Lebanese demonstrators took their ground and held it — they planned to stay in Beirut's central Martyrs' Square again Monday night. And like Ukraine, their movement had trademark colors: the bright red and white of the Lebanese flag, waved high in the air and worn as a scarf.
The White House welcomed Karami's resignation, saying it opens the door for new elections that are "free of all foreign interference" from Syria, but called again on Damascus to pull out its soldiers.
"Syrian military forces and intelligence personnel need to leave the country," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "That will help ensure that elections are free and fair."
In one sign Syria has no intention of just packing up and leaving, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in remarks published Monday that there will be a price for Syrian troop withdrawal: a settlement with Israel.
"Under a technical point of view, the withdrawal can happen by the end of the year," Assad told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "But under a strategic point of view, it will only happen if we obtain serious guarantees. In one word: peace."
At first glance, the resignation of Karami and his government was a huge victory for the opposition, united by dislike of the Syrians, the Syrian-backed government and the drive to find those who killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri two weeks ago. Many blame Syria for his assassination.
A series of protests have shaken Lebanon since Hariri, the nation's most prominent politician, was killed by a bomb in Beirut Feb. 14. Sixteen others also died.
The government may have stepped down, at least in part, in hopes of quelling the unprecedented anger at Syria and its allies in Lebanon. Despite the resignation, Damascus remains the major player in Lebanon: aside from its troops, it has powerful allies, including the president, the intelligence services and the military.
President Lahoud quickly accepted the resignation of Karami's 4-month-old Cabinet — which replaced Hariri's government — and asked Karami to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed.
But opposition leaders — a diverse group of Muslim, Druse and Christians — demanded a neutral government to organize parliamentary elections this spring and to investigate Hariri's murder.
Druse opposition leader Walid Jumblatt, responding to Assad's published remarks, said Lebanon "cannot wait for peace to be achieved" in the Middle East and demanded a speedy troop withdrawal.
The State Department's annual report on human rights abuses around the world, released Monday, called the events in Lebanon a "Cedar Revolution" — a moniker that brings the country in line with Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution, Georgia's Rose Revolution, and Ukraine's Orange Revolution.
"In Lebanon, we see growing momentum for a Cedar Revolution that is unifying the citizens of that nation to the cause of true democracy and freedom from foreign influence," Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky said, referring to the majestic tree that is celebrated in the Bible as a symbol of well-being and appears on Lebanon's flag.
Monday's demonstration came exactly two weeks after Hariri's slaying. Banks, businesses and most schools were closed to protest the killing. Among the demonstrators were lawyers in black court robes, doctors in white coats, businessmen, housewives and students.
Hundreds of soldiers and police ringed Martyrs' Square, but there was no violence, even as more and more protesters evaded the cordon and join the demonstration. Protest leaders urged their followers not to provoke the security forces, and some security officers appeared to sympathize with the illegal demonstration.
Protesters gave red roses to some soldiers, and sang the national anthem and chanted: "Syria out!" and "We want no other army in Lebanon except the Lebanese army!"
At the nearby Parliament building, Karami had asked the legislature for a vote of confidence. Even though he almost certainly would have won, he resigned instead of calling the vote.
In announcing his resignation, Karami said he did it for the good of Lebanon after withstanding unjust criticism of his government in the parliamentary debate.
"I am keen that the government will not be a hurdle in front of those who want the good for this country. I declare the resignation of the government that I had the honor to head. May God preserve Lebanon," Karami said in remarks heard through loudspeakers and watched on a giant screen by throngs on the Martyrs' Square.
Demonstrators immediately shouted for Lahoud to step down, and speakers urged them to stay put until heads of the security agencies resign as well. The demonstrators also called for the Syrian intelligence chief to leave and for the Syrian army to withdraw.
"Lahoud, your turn is coming!" the crowd shouted.
Lahoud's six-year term was renewed in September by Parliament, under apparent Syrian pressure, in defiance of a U.N. resolution that demanded Lebanon hold presidential elections and the withdrawal of Syrian troops.
While Karami's Cabinet continues as a caretaker government, the president consults with parliament then appoints a new prime minister. That person consults parliamentary blocs to form a Cabinet, which must withstand a parliamentary vote of confidence. Normally, the process takes a few weeks.
Opposition leaders were quick to try to quiet any qualms in Damascus.
"We don't want this victory to be a defeat for Syria," legislator Ghazi Aridi told the crowd.
And Jumblatt, who has been holed up at his ancestral home in the mountains for fear of assassination, said: "We reject any animosity toward Syria. We want a correct relationship."
Phil's Observations
I'm taking the optomistic approach to this news. I think it could lead to a new Labanon with a representative government. But I also know the region, and am cautious to see how Syria effects the next few months.

It's been a while since I've posted. Been busy and haven't been inspired to write about anything lately.

An "anonymous" person posted a comment on a recent post. I deleted their comment and pasted it in a new comment. The only change I made to the original comment is that I removed a link to a website. The website promoted hate. As most of my regular viewers know, I do not promote hate, and found the website inappropriate. Actually, I found it very childish. It's now gone.

I am often amused by people. It's fun to observe how people present themselves. I love a good debate. I love people who strongly disagree with me. In fact, some of my best friends have differing viewpoints than I do. But do you know why we are still friends? Because we know that when we have a very lively debate, we still love each other and ourselves and can laugh about it. We don't take it personally. We don't get offended by what each other says. We can discuss or argue about life, media, politics, friends, family, laws, whatever and get very dramatic when we present an idea or perspective, but we always let it go when we're done and go out for some drinks or dinner. Or go on vacations or trips together. You don't hear me talking about a friend's opinion to another person. And you don't hear my friend talk about my opinion to someone else. We let it go and move on. Too many times, people aren't willing to let it go and move forward. We need to stop re-living the present or past. You'll get left behind if you don't move forward.

P.S. Seth is on his way home from Iraq. I wish him a safe and speedy trip home. I hope he continues to post once he gets home and transitions back into "semi-regular" life. Be sure to check out his blog. The link is in the left sidebar.

Oh, and another thing. Somewhere, somehow, I got some spyware, adware, or virus on my PC. I'm working diligently (or not so diligently) to remove it. I think I've located the problem, but am having trouble getting rid of it. Everytime I try to get rid of it, I get an Windows error message that it cannot be deleted because another program is using it. Actually, now that I've been infected, I think I have more that one problem. I've got a VX2, whatever the hell that is, and have had no luck getting rid of it. Any, it's caused me some frustration. But hell, how enjoyable would life be if we didn't have some challenges to overcome.

I have Thursday & Friday off this week, so I get four straight days to do nuttin but vegitate. I'm looking forward to it.

Here is where I will be tomorrow, in case anyone wanted to know. LOL

Chicago Auto Show Website

Remember, if someone doesn't pump up my ego, I might as well do it.

Courtesy of

Iran: U.S. Flew Spy Drones Over Nuke Sites

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's intelligence chief on Wednesday accused the United States of flying spy drones over its nuclear sites and threatened to shoot down the unmanned surveillance crafts.
Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi comments backed a report in The Washington Post on Sunday that quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying the drones have been flying over Iran for nearly a year to seek evidence of nuclear weapons programs.
"U.S. spying activities over Iranian airspace have been going since a long time ago," Yunesi told reporters.
"Most of the shining objects that our people see in Iran's airspace are American spying equipment used to spy on Iran's nuclear and military facilities," the minister told reporters.
He said they would not reveal anything the United States doesn't already know.
"Our nuclear activities are open and very transparent. Our military activities are all legal," Yunesi said. He spoke while visiting a prison for dissidents under the Shah that has been turned into a museum.
The Washington Post reported the drones had been flying over Iran from U.S. military bases in Iraq and were equipped with air filters to pick up traces of nuclear activity.
In December, the Iranian air force was ordered to shoot down any unknown flying objects. At the time, there were reports in Iranian newspapers that Iran had discovered spying devices in pilotless planes its air defense force had shot down.
"If any of the bright objects come close, they will definitely meet our fire and will be shot down. We possess the necessary equipment to confront them," Yunesi said.
Last month, Yunesi said the United States had been conducting aerial surveillance, but he neither mentioned drones nor nuclear and military sites. Yunesi said U.S. commandoes had not entered Iran, adding the security forces would catch any American who did.
Iranian media has been gripped by a kind of "flying object" fever with dozens of reported sightings in recent weeks. State-run media has reported numerous sightings of unknown objects flying over parts of Iran where nuclear facilities are located.
The objects were spotted near Natanz — which has a uranium enrichment plant — and Isfahan, which has a facility for producing uranium hexaflouride gas, the feedstock for enriching uranium. Uranium enriched to low grades is used for fuel in nuclear reactors. Further enrichment makes it suitable for atomic bombs.
The United States accuses Iran of having a secret program to manufacture nuclear weapons. Iran denies this, saying its nuclear program is entirely for the generation of electricity.

Phil's Observations
1) I sure the hell hope we have spy planes flying over Iran. I hope we have some agents over there, too.
2) If Iran's nuclear program is for electricity only, why they hell are they so worried about spy planes?

I guess we have dual themes today. Not that I'm not able to multi-task or anything, but this day just seems to have a lot of news that worries me. It worries me about what is happening to our way of life, our society.

Where the hell are the parents in either of these cases? Don't try to blame violent movies, music or other crap on this either. I listened to and watched violent crap too, but you don't see me out there acting like it's ok to stab or shoot someone.

Courtesy of

Boy Stabs Sister Over Chicken Pot Pie

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — A 12-year-old boy stabbed his sister in the arm in an argument over a chicken pot pie, authorities said.
The boy is charged as a juvenile with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and assault with a dangerous weapon, said Robert A. Holmes, senior assistant Isabella County prosecutor.
The alleged attack took place Monday evening at the siblings' home in Mount Pleasant.
"They were having a brother-sister argument," Officer Michael G. Covarrubias told The Saginaw News for a story Wednesday. "This is going to make them sound stupid, but they were arguing over a chicken pot pie."
When the 13-year-old girl refused to give up the microwavable pie, her brother drew a nine-inch folding knife and attacked, Covarrubias said.
"They were just arguing over the pot pie, and she said her brother became very upset and pulled out this knife and swung at her," he said. "It appeared she put her arm up to block it, and then she got stabbed."
Medics treated the girl at the scene for an inch-long forearm gash, Covarrubias said. The siblings' 35-year-old mother apparently broke up the fight and called police, he said. Authorities did not release the mother's or children's names.
The boy was ordered held in a youth home in neighboring Osceola County pending a Feb. 23 pretrial conference. He faces anywhere from probation to detention until he turns 19, Holmes said.

Courtesy of

Girl Accused of Killing Sister Over Burger

ST. LOUIS — A 12-year-old girl has been charged with murder under juvenile law for allegedly killing her 9-year-old sister, apparently in a dispute over a hamburger.
A Family Court judge will determine if the girl should be tried as an adult, but no date has been set for that proceeding, said Kathryn Herman, assistant administrator for the St. Louis Family Court. A detention hearing is set for Wednesday.
The older girl reported finding her sister lifeless on the floor of their home near downtown Dec. 22.
Medical Examiner Michael Graham said Tuesday that the 9-year-old girl had minor injuries to her neck, but an autopsy did not initially determine the cause of death.
On Feb. 1, a social worker told police the 12-year-old was in a hospital psychiatric unit, suffering visions and nightmares, and had told the staff she strangled her sister during a quarrel over a hamburger, police told the Post-Dispatch.
Graham said those statements and the injuries led him to determine the cause of death was strangulation. "No other condition reasonably explains her death," he said.
Police did not immediately respond to calls seeking additional details Tuesday.
Charges against the 12-year-old were filed Thursday, Herman said. She remained hospitalized but was expected to be moved to a juvenile center. If convicted as a juvenile, the maximum penalty would be confinement until her 21st birthday.

Men who go after boys. No need for me to state my thought on this. Well, maybe there is. Sometimes you have to repeat something many times for people to listen. ADULTS WHO HURT KIDS SHOULD BE EXECUTED UPON CONVICTION.

What the hell is this 12-15 year sentance? Fuckin kill the bastard already! Why does he deserve to live in misery on my tax dollars?

Courtesy of

Ex-Priest Shanley Gets 12-15 Years for Rape

BOSTON — Defrocked priest Paul Shanley, a central figure in the Boston Archdiocese clergy sex abuse scandal, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 to 15 years in prison for raping a boy repeatedly in the 1980s, sometimes in a church confessional.
"It is difficult to imagine a more egregious misuse of trust and authority," Judge Stephen Neel said in imposing the term. But he turned aside a prosecutor's request for a life sentence.
Shanley, 74, once known for being a hip "street priest" who reached out to troubled children and homosexuals, was convicted last week of two counts each of child rape and indecent assault and battery on a child.
He will eligible for parole after serving two-thirds of his sentence, or 8 years. He was also sentenced to 10 years' probation.
The case hinged on the reliability of the accuser's memories of the abuse, which he said he recovered three years ago as the clergy sex abuse scandal unfolded in the media.
Prosecutor Lynn Rooney had recommended a life sentence, saying Shanley used his position of authority to gain the trust of the boys he then molested.
"He used his collar and he used his worshipped status in that community," Rooney said. "There has been no remorse shown on the part of this defendant. There has been no acceptance of responsibility."
Shanley's lawyer, Frank Mondano, did not suggest a specific term, but asked Neel to allow Shanley to serve his sentence in a county lockup rather than state prison. The judge refused. Another notorious pedophile priest, John Geoghan, was killed in a Massachusetts state prison, allegedly by a fellow inmate.
Mondano said the prosecution's case was built on "vilification, half truths and lies." He has said he plans to appeal.
Among the spectators who packed the courtroom for Shanley's sentencing hearing were other people who accused Shanley of sexually abusing them but were not part of the criminal case. As Shanley was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, they burst into applause and one man called out "Goodbye."
Shanley's accuser, now a 27-year-old firefighter in a suburb of Boston, said the former priest would pull him from Sunday morning catechism classes at St. Jean's parish in Newton and rape and fondle him. The abuse began in 1983, when he was 6 years old, and continued for six years, he said.
Rooney read a written statement by Shanley's accuser.
"I want him to die in prison," the man's statement said. "I hope it is slow and painful."
The accuser's wife addressed Shanley in court, saying "no words can ever explain my disgust for you. You are a coward. You hid behind God."
"You robbed my little boy of his innocence," the accuser's father told Shanley. "You destroyed his understanding of good and bad and right and wrong."
During the trial, the accuser broke down on the witness stand as he described in graphic detail being abused by Shanley in a church bathroom, rectory, confessional and pews.
"He told me nobody would ever believe me if I told anybody," he testified.
Shanley became a focal point of the scandal after plaintiffs' attorneys forced the church to release internal records about him. Among the records were documents indicating that he was transferred from parish to parish after allegations surfaced, and that he had attended a forum with other people who later went on to form the North American Man-Boy Love Association, or NAMBLA.
He was one of the few priests among hundreds implicated in the scandal to face criminal charges. Most others escaped prosecution because the statute of limitations ran out long ago. But in Shanley's case, the clock stopped when he moved out of Massachusetts. He was arrested in California in May 2002.
Some inmate advocates say whatever prison term Shanley gets could amount to a death sentence.
Geoghan was beaten and strangled behind bars in 2003, a year after being convicted of molesting a 10-year-old boy. A fellow prisoner later told investigators he killed Geoghan "to save the children."
Shanley is "so high-profile that that puts a big target on his back," said James Pingeon, a lawyer at Massachusetts Correctional Legal Services, a group that provides civil legal services to inmates. "We feel concerned. Obviously, he's a vulnerable person because of his notoriety and his age."

I really don't want to get into details why I think this right now - simply because I do not want to have to explain it. These men should be executed upon conviction. This isn't a gay thing. This is a power thing. This is a sick thing.

I dare anyone to tell me why there isn't anything wrong with what these men did.

Courtesy of

Seven NAMBLA Members Busted in Sex Sting

LOS ANGELES — Seven members of the North American Man/Boy Love Association, including two teachers, were arrested in Southern California and charged with allegedly planning to travel to Mexico to have sex with boys, authorities said.
An eighth man was charged with distributing child pornography, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. Four men were arrested in Los Angeles and three in San Diego Saturday.
They were charged Monday, following a sting operation in which each man allegedly paid hundreds of dollars to an undercover agent to arrange the sex, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said during a news conference Monday. During the investigation, the FBI set up a fake travel company that offered a trip to Mexico to meet boys for sex, Eimiller said.

The men had allegedly traveled from their homes to Southern California with the expectation of boarding a boat to Ensenada, where they were told sex with the boys was awaiting them at a bed-and-breakfast, Eimiller said. Through the undercover agent, she said, they requested that the boys be as young as 8 years old. "This investigation exemplifies the FBI's commitment nationwide, and the commitment of our local, state and federal task force partners, to finding child predators within the United States and beyond our borders," Richard Garcia, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office, said in a statement.

Jeff Devore, 53, of Fullerton was arrested Saturday and charged with distributing child pornography as a result of the sting, Eimiller said. Devore, a minister at the Brea Congregational Church, in Orange County, was not accused of planning to go on the Mexico trip.
Devore, who is also a chiropractor, first met an undercover FBI agent at a North American Man/Boy Love Association meeting.

The association, which was formed in 1978 and advocates relationships with men and boys, was not charged in the case. Devore was allowed to post bail but it was immediately unknown whether he had done so. A phone call to the church and a message left on Devore's answering machine seeking comment were not immediately returned.

The seven arrested included: Sam Lindblad, 56, of Albuquerque, N.M.; Gregory Mark Nusca, 43, of Dania Beach, Fla., also known as David R. Busby or Steven West; Steven K. Irvin, 46, of Pittsburgh, a special education teacher at Carrick High School; Richard Stutsman, 59, of Seneca, S.C., a substitute teacher for a school district in Oconee County; Phillip Todd Calvin, 43, of Dallas; David Cory Mayer, 49, of Chicago, a flight attendant; and Paul Ernest Zipszer, 39, of Deltona, Fla.

My sense of humor isn't here right now. Please leave a message.

I looked my blog today and about shit my pants. It didn't look right, & I knew I did it to myself. I messed something up with the template for the blog and now I can't figure out what I did to make it change. All of a sudden (keep in mind that I know I was an indiot for not saving the HMTL code before messing with it) the right border is extended to far out, the text is appearing after the sidebar, and the frickin Google Ads aren't doing what they're supposed to. All of this cuz I was trying to change a couple of minor details and I didn't pay attention to what I was doing.

I'll confess now. I'm jealous of people who actually know what they are doing with HTML, and those who have the time and energy and desire to learn more about it. No comments on this post because I am pissed. This was 'sposed to be a fun, pet project, and now I am irate and I don't wanna hear about it. Not that many comments are made to my blog anyway, LOL.

You need to grow up. Laughter keeps you alive and invigorated.

Be sure to check out Seth's blog. The link is on the left. On the right side of his page is a link to his photo gallery. Be sure to check out the funny pics category.

Courtesy of

JERUSALEM - The Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said Saturday they will not attack Israeli targets, but they refrained from officially joining a Palestinian cease-fire with Israel agreed upon during last week's summit in Egypt.
Leaders of both groups met Saturday with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who is trying to keep the fragile cease-fire intact.
A Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, told The Associated Press the group will wait to see whether Israel stops its military activities and targeted killings of Palestinian militants before deciding whether to join the truce agreed upon by Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Zahar said after meeting with Abbas that Hamas was "committed to what is called 'quietness'" until it determines whether Israel meets its truce obligations, including disclosing the criteria for releasing Palestinian prisoners.
"Up to this moment, we are committed to the previous agreement with Mr. Abbas, and we are going to see how the Israelis" will act, Zahar told the AP.
Hamas, which opposes Israel's existence, pledged to Abbas it would stop attacks against the Jewish state as part of a general halt to violence by all militant groups. Hamas has killed hundreds of Israelis during the past four years of fighting.

Phil's Observations
Sounds to me like there may actually be a Palastinian leader within Abbas. Arafat would have gone to Hamas to congratulate them. Abbas went to Hamas to tell them to knock it off. Maybe there is some real hope and real progress coming to solve their conflict.

Courtesy of

Phil's Observations
Now this is a story of doing what you've gotta do! What a great story! How could anyone not be impressed?

Original Story:
Owner Quits, Employees Don't
Sunday, February 06, 2005

What would you do if your boss stopped coming in to work?
That's what happened to the employees of a Quiznos Sub sandwich franchise in Seattle when the store owners suddenly dropped out of the picture, reports the Seattle Times.
But instead of quitting, several employees carried on, keeping the shop open by themselves despite no paychecks, no food deliveries and increasingly irate customers.
"Due to bad owners, we are out of a lot of things. Please do not get mad at the employees and manager," read a note on the shop door this past Tuesday. "This [is] out of their control. We are so sorry for the problems. Thanks."
Things started going south in November, store manager Dawna Lentz said, when the owners of the month-old store went AWOL. She wouldn't be more specific.
So Lentz, 25, rallied the three other employees who didn't quit when the paychecks stopped coming.
Food supplies were bought with cash from the register, as was the special Quiznos bread, which she got from other local franchises.
Wages were also paid with what cash was available, with Lentz carefully tallying each worker's hours and how much he'd been paid (or not) on the back of his worthless last paycheck.
"I like working here," said employee James Zambrano, 26, even though he was still owed about $450. "Everybody gets along like family."
Nevertheless, the shortages started adding up. A list of what the store didn't have in stock was posted on the door, until it got to be three pages long and was replaced by the more general plea above.
When the Times reporter visited last Tuesday, there were no desserts and no chips except for jalapeño.
The soda machine had little Post-It notes reading "Out of Order" stuck on every self-serve spigot except for Vanilla Coke and lemonade.
"I'll have a large Out of Order," said one customer.
"Is that with ice or without?" replied Lentz.
"You're doing good for what you have to work with," said another customer, though Lentz said many others weren't so sympathetic.
"I've been called 'stupid,' 'incompetent,'" she said.
The Times got in touch with the Quiznos company, which sent people down last week to check out the situation.
On Thursday, food deliveries were resumed, staff was added and employees were paid back wages, according to Quiznos spokeswoman Stacie Lange.
Lange added that the franchise ownership was being transferred to a new set of owners.
As for Lentz, she had feared that she'd lose her job in the end, despite having worked 12-hour days and racking up $900 in unpaid wages, not including overtime, during the crisis.
But as of Thursday, she was still the manager, even though she wasn't allowed to talk to the media any more.
"The employees who were there yesterday are still there today," explained Lange.

Story Updated:
Plucky Manager Promoted, Not Fired
Wednesday, February 09, 2005

It's a happy ending for the can-do manager of an orphaned fast-food restaurant.
As earlier reported in Out There, Dawna Lentz, the manager of a Seattle Quiznos Sub franchise, kept things going on a shoestring budget for two months after the restaurant's owners dropped out of the picture, deliveries stopped coming and the bank account emptied out.
After the store's dire situation was reported in the Seattle Times last week, the Quiznos company restocked the shelves, paid back wages and began to find new owners.
Lentz, however, was sure she'd be fired for running the restaurant without supervision.
Instead, she's being given more management training in preparation for a promotion and is flying to Quiznos headquarters to meet the company president.
"She's shown loyalty to Quiznos like no other employee has," corporate spokeswoman Stacie Lange told the Times. "Her ability to keep that store afloat through a very difficult time needs to be commended."
She's even getting job offers from competing fast-food chains.

Phil's Observations
Before you read this article, I want to share my reaction with you first. The bottom line is that I am dissapointed. There are many things about the events leading to 9/11 that I am dissapointed with. But before I blow my top, I remind myself that hindsight is 20/20. Yeah, if we only knew yeaterday what we know today. The benefit of hindsight is that it provides us with an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. It is up to us to learn from our mistakes. IT IS VITAL that we do not let opportunities like these slip by us. We must take the responsibility and accountability to learn from what we have done wrong in the past. IF WE DO NOT, we will repeat the same mistake again.

Courtesy of

NEW YORK — Federal aviation officials received dozens of warnings before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks about Usama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, including some that mentioned airline hijackings or homicide attacks, The New York Times reported.
In its Thursday editions, the Times said a previously undisclosed report by the commission that investigated the airliner attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon detailed 52 warnings given to leaders of the Federal Aviation Administration from April to Sept. 10, 2001, about the radical Islamic terrorist group and its leader.
The commission report, written last August, said the warnings came from the FAA's own security branch. The paper said five security warnings mentioned Al Qaeda's training for hijackings and two reports concerned homicide operations not connected to aviation.
The Times said that a classified version and a partially declassified version of the 120-page report were given to the National Archives two weeks ago. The Times story cited the declassified version of the document.
Al Felzenberg, former spokesman for the 9/11 commission, which went out of business last summer, said the government had not completed review of the report for declassification purposes until recently. He said the Justice Department delivered the two versions of the document to the Archives.
An Archives spokeswoman said Wednesday night the unclassified version of the document would not be available to the public until Thursday morning.
The Times gave these highlights from the commission report:
Aviation officials were "lulled into a false sense of security" and "intelligence that indicated a real and growing threat leading up to 9/ll did not stimulate significant increases in security procedures."
It takes the FAA to task for not expanding the use of in-flight air marshals or tightening airport screening for weapons. It said FAA officials were more concerned with reducing airline congestion, lessening delays and easing air carriers' financial problems than thwarting a terrorist attack.
Information in this report was available to members of the 9/11 commission when they issued their public report last summer. That report itself contained criticisms of FAA operations.

I've watched John Stossel on ABC's 20/20 and his special reports for years. So when I heard that he had a new book out, I figured I should read it. It's great! Check it out to see if it interests you, too!

Amazon's Website

Courtesy of Australian Broadcasting Company

Iraqi police are investigating an election incident at a small Iraqi village south of Baghdad. The villagers, a mix of Shia (search) and Sunni Muslim (search) turned out in large numbers to vote in Sunday’s election, even though insurgents threatened voters with violence.

The Australian Broadcasting Company (search) reports that when the insurgents returned to make good on their threats, they got a nasty surprise. The residents fought back, killing five insurgents and wounding eight, then burning the insurgents’ car. Australian broadcast reporter Mark Willesy concludes, "The people of that village have certainly had enough of the insurgents."

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Speaking of ABC, you may find it worth your time to check out their Special Report: Four Corners.

My friends, I talk alot about Social Security because the government program is huge. Unless the program is updated, it will fail. Imagine that you are running a business, and a machine you use to make a product is 50 years old, and breaks down. You need to decide whether to buy stuff to fix it permanently, buy stuff to temporarily fix it (i.e. bandaid), or you buy a new one that will produce better results. This is the crisis that we find ourselves in with SS. We are only a couple generations away from our SS system failing. Unless it is modernized, I have no confidence I will get any of it when I retire.

There are many of our congressional folk who say that SS isn't in a crisis. There are many who say there is no problem at all. There are many who just want to raise taxes to cover the extra spending. It simply doesn't add up. Once you start making more withdrawls from your checking account than you are putting in, you'll start paying a lot more to have the checking account.

This is not a partisian issue. But I've been observing a lot of partisian talk lately. Just so everyone knows, those who deny SS is in trouble now, didn't always think so. Here are some Democrats on the subject:

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV):
"[M]ost Of Us Have No Problem With Taking A Small Amount Of The Social Security Proceeds And Putting It Into The Private Sector." (Fox’s "Fox News Sunday," 2/14/99)

"We’re Visiting Chile Because It Is Doing Interesting Things In Social Security And Other Parts Of Its Free Market System." (Tony Batt, "Reid To Embark On South America Trip," Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/30/99)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
"Durbin Said Due To The Increasing Number Of ‘Baby Boomers’ Reaching Retirement Age, Social Security Will Be Unable To Pay Out Full Benefits … But The Sooner Congress Acts To Avert This Crisis The Easier And Less Painful It Will Be." (Sen. Dick Durbin, "Reforming Social Security," Press Release, 9/15/98)

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
"We Have To Move On Now, And Start Fixing Social Security And Preserving It And Reining In The HMOS And Making Our Schools Better." (Fox’s "Special Report," 2/12/99)

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
President Clinton’s "Budget Focuses On The Right Priorities For The Nation – Education, Health Care, Child Care And The Strengthening And Protecting Of Social Security." (Melanie Eversley, "Budget Proposal Has Some Good News For Michigan," Detroit Free Press, 2/2/99)

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
"Fixing Social Security Is An Urgent Priority. It Ought To Be At The Top Of Both Parties’ Agendas." (Sen. Byron Dorgan, "Fixing Social Security Must Top Both Parties’ Agendas," Roll Call, 12/6/99)

"This Report [By The Center On Budget And Policy Priorities] Provides Powerful And Convincing Evidence Of The Need To Save Social Security First." (Sen. Byron Dorgan, "Dorgan Says New Report Provides Powerful Evidence Of Need To Save Social Security First," Press Release, 7/24/98)

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
"I’ll Tell You Exactly What I’d Do. I Would Lift The $65,000 Cap, Let It Go Right Up To The Top Of -- For Payment For Individuals And Then Cut The Payroll Tax For Every American That Pays It And That Would Be Significant -- That Would Be A Significant Reduction For Working Families." (CNN’s "Evans, Novak, Hunt & Shields," 6/27/98)

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
"West Virginia Has The Oldest Population Of Any State, So I Share Completely The President’s Commitment To Working Quickly To Strengthen Social Security …" (Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Rockefeller Reacts To State Of The Union Address," Press Release, 1/19/99)

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
"I Was At The Social Security Summit At The White House, Along With 40 Of My Colleagues, Republicans And Democrats. And There Was Virtual Unanimity Of Opinion That We Simply Have To Get A Higher Return From The Social Security Investments." (Fox News’ "Special Report," 1/20/99)

Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI)
"People Can See, I Think, A [Social Security] Crisis Where There Immediate Family Is Affected Even If Not Immediately … This Is Something That Affects Almost Everybody’s Immediate Family." (Richard A. Ryan, "Social Security Reform Stalls," The Detroit News, 2/2/02)

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
"I Am One Democrat That Truly Believes That Democrats Will Not Benefit By Doing Nothing On Social Security." (Rep. Charles Rangel, Press Conference, 1/21/99)

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
"This Investment Of The Trust Fund In Equities Would Bring Social Security Into Line With The Best Practice Of Both Private And Public Sector Pension Plans." (Rep. Earl Pomeroy, Committee On Commerce, U.S. House Of Representatives, Testimony, 2/25/99)

Former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
"Why Should Social Security Recipients Be Disadvantaged By Not Getting To Be Able To Have Higher Returns Out Of The Stock Market?" (Rep. Dick Gephardt, Press Conference, 1/21/99)

President Clinton
"[F]irst, And Above All, We Must Save Social Security For The 21st Century." (President Bill Clinton, State Of The Union, 1/19/99)

"Now Is The Time To Strengthen Social Security For The Future. … We Can And Must Accomplish This Critical Goal For The American People." (The White House, "Statement On Congressional Inaction On Legislation To Strengthen Social Security," Press Release, 4/23/99)

"[W]hat I Believe We Should Do Is To Invest A Modest Amount Of This In The Private Sector, The Way Every Other Retirement Plan Does. The Arizona State Retirement Plan Does; Every Municipal Retirement Plan Does; Every Private Plan Does." (President Bill Clinton, Remarks To The Citizens Of Tucson On Medicare And Social Security, Tucson, AZ,
2/25/99)

"[P]eople … In The Investment Community … Said They Thought I Was Right And They Hoped That We Wouldn’t Let Initial Criticism Stop Us From Offering A Plan Which Would Demonstrate To The American People That You Could Run This Investment Just Like Any Other Public Pension Investment Is Run. And I Am Confident That We Can Do That." (President Bill Clinton, Remarks To AARP National Legislative Council, Washington, DC, 2/3/99)

"Here We’ve Identified It And There Are Obvious Differences About What Should Be Done To Fix Social Security For The 21st Century. But We All Know That There Are Basically Only Three Options: We Can Raise Taxes Again, Which No One Wants To Do Because The Payroll Tax Is Regressive. Over Half The American People Who Are Working Pay More Payroll Tax Than Income Tax Today. We Can Cut Benefits … Or We Can Work Together
To Try To Find Some Way To Increase The Rate Of Return." (President Bill Clinton, Remarks At Social Security And Y2K Event, Washington, DC, 12/28/98)

"We Must Act Now Across Party Lines To Make Social Security As Strong For Our Children As It Has Been For Our Parents." (President Bill Clinton, Radio Address, 9/19/98)

"We Know The Problem. We Know That If We Act Now It Will Be Easier And Less Painful Than If We Wait Until Later. I Don’t Think Any Of You Want To See America In A Situation Where We Have To Cut Benefits 25 Percent, Or Raise Inherently Regressive Payroll Taxes 25 Percent, To Deal With The Challenge Of The Future And Our Obligations To Our Seniors." (President Bill Clinton, Remarks To The Concord Coalition/AARP Social Security Forum, Albuquerque, NM, 7/27/98)

"It May Seem A Long Way Away From The Time You’re Now – Where You Are Until You Will Need Retirement. It May Seem A Long Way Away Before Most Of Your Parents Need Retirement. But It Isn’t. And Great Societies Plan Over Long Periods Of Time So That Individual Lives Can Flower And Take Root And Take Form. And That Is What We Have To Do Today." (President Bill Clinton, Remarks At Georgetown University On Social Security, Washington, DC, 2/9/98)

"We Now Know That The Social Security Trust Fund Is Fine For Another Few Decades. But If It Gets In Trouble And We Don’t Deal With It, Then It Not Only Affects The Generation Of The Baby Boomers And Whether They’ll Have Enough To Live On When They Retire, It Raises The Question Of Whether They Will Have Enough To Live On By Unfairly Burdening Their Children And, Therefore, Unfairly Burdening Their Children’s Ability To Raise Their Grandchildren. That Would Be Unconscionable …" (President Bill Clinton, Remarks At Georgetown University On Social Security, Washington, DC, 2/9/98)

Hillary Clinton
"Clearly, It’s In All Our Interests To Preserve And Strengthen Social Security Into The Next Century. And If We Don’t Want To Burden Our Children And Grandchildren, If We Want To Make Sure Social Security Remains Solvent Well Into The 21st Century, We Must Make Bold Decisions Now." (Hillary Clinton, Op-Ed, "Bold Decisions Needed For Social Security," Chattanooga Times Free Press, 2/21/99)

"[O]ne Of The Most Critical Challenges Of Our Time [Is] Preserving And Strengthening Social Security For Future Generations." (Remarks By Hillary Clinton, White House Event On Social Security, The White House, Washington D.C., 2/17/99)

Bruce Reed, Clinton White House Domestic Policy Adviser
"Some Type Of Structure Like The Thrift Savings Plan" For Universal Savings Accounts. (The White House, "Press Briefing By Senior Administration Officials," Press Release, 1/20/99)

Source for quotes was provided by "A Guide to Social Security Reform", printed by the House Republican Conference and the Senate Republican Conference.

I ran across this post while surfing. Too damn funny!

now here's intelligence (you may have to scroll down to see the picture)

Courtesy of
Commentary courtesy of Phil, of course.

President Bush said Wednesday that Social Security's solvency problems will not be solved by raising taxes because the tax base is not growing as quickly as the problem. He offered details of his plans to create private accounts during his State of the Union address.

Establishment and Eligibility
— People 55 years of age and older — those born in 1949 or earlier — will not be affected by the plan.
— The program is voluntary (for my liberal friends, that means you're not required to participate) for those born in 1950 or later. Individuals can choose to stay entirely in the system. Recipients will get "the benefits the system is able to pay," the official said, which may indicate that benefits will decrease over time (duh! more people taking out than bringing it typically means money will run out).
— The federal government's Thrift Savings Plan is the model for the accounts. TSP is the retirement savings plan for civilians who are employed by the U.S. government and members of the uniformed services.
— A centralized, administrative entity will be created to administer the program. Management of the various investments funds will be contracted out. No big new government-run fund manager is being proposed.
— The accounts can be bequeathed to survivors (unlike today's SS, your benificeries actually keep what you've contributed).
—- Costs could be incurred after that 10-year period.
— Social Security trustees estimate that two-thirds of the workforce will participate.

Investments
— Investors can choose from a number of accounts. The accounts will parallel those available under TSP. The five current TSP funds can be reviewed at http://www.tsp.gov/.
— Because the program will be much larger than the TSP plan, more than five funds are likely to be available, a senior administration official said. Even if more funds are available, however, they will be limited in number.
— Under the president's plan, a "life cycle fund" will be created. In this fund, the proportion of the money invested in stocks shrinks as an individual nears retirement in order to lower investment risks. This fund will become "a standard" at a certain age. If an individual has other money for retirement and chooses not to participate in this low-risk fund, he or she can choose to opt out of the program (you'll have options you get decide on, not the government AND the government looks out for you by preventing you from selecting high-risk funds in your later years).
— Accounts will be phased in starting in 2009. Every worker who wants to participate will be enrolled by 2011. In 2009, anyone born in 1965 or earlier can enroll. In 2010, anyone born 1978 and earlier can enroll. After 2010, citizens of any age can enroll.
— Contributions will be phased in. Officials would like to permit individuals to put 4 percent of their payroll taxes into a personal retirement account. Annual contributions will be capped at $1,000 per year in 2009. The cap will gradually rise over time, growing by $100 per year after that. The contribution grows with growth of wages.
— Administrative costs for TSP are currently at 0.3 percent of account balances. The official said a similar cost should be expected for the new accounts, primarily to pay for record keeping.
— Workers will not be permitted to take loans against these accounts.
— Wage inflation is generally 3 percent. The average rate of return on TSP funds ranges from 4.32 percent to 10.99 percent, according to a 10-year average taken from TSP.
— Individuals cannot opt out of the program once they join. If individuals do not want to participate, their investments will be put into a separate fund like a Treasury bond-based fund that effectively will replicate the Social Security benefit.

Retirement
— Upon retirement, restrictions will be placed on withdrawals. Individuals will not be able to withdraw any amount from the personal accounts combined with the traditional Social Security benefit that would put them below the poverty level.

OK, I'm ready to hear some comments on these details released. Sock it to me!

Courtesy of

LOS ANGELES — Merit-based pay, which rewards workers for a job well done, is still a novel idea for teachers in America's schools, but one shining example in Los Angeles has boosted some people's hopes that teachers' salaries will one day be commensurate with their performances in the classroom.
Vaughn Next Century Charter School pays its teachers on a scale tied to annual performance evaluations. According to school principal Yvonne Chen, the system has helped turn the once failing school into an award-winning, blue ribbon center for learning while spending one-third less money per student than most average schools spend.
"At the end of the day, good teachers should make more and this will keep the teachers in their profession. They don't take two or three jobs and also waitress at Denny's or get out of the classroom to be administrators," Chen said. "Everybody should be able to receive extra compensation just like everybody in the real world."
Despite the success of such programs in some of the largest school districts in the nation, performance-based pay is strongly opposed by teachers unions and school administrators who say it's a bad idea for teachers to compete against one another.
"It's an old idea, it's not new, and then again, it's contrary to a school working together and collaboratively," said Jack O'Connell of the California Department of Education.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is backing a bill that would give the concept of merit pay a fighting chance by allowing individual school districts the power to craft their own plans and standards. Currently, teachers are paid according to seniority.
"We believe in local control. We believe the district itself has to decide how to make their school the best school, how to make the teachers proud to be teachers, how to reward the good teachers and how to get rid of the terrible teachers," said Richard Riordan, former Los Angeles mayor and now the state's secretary of education.
Schwarzenegger's supporters say protecting the status quo when so many kids are failing to learn basic skills is reason enough to try something new. They add that a merit-pay system will help save money and garner better teaching talent.
But critics say not only does merit pay become too expensive, the competition it creates in the classroom causes tension and problems among teachers.
"The plan that has been put forward thus far really creates a whole new bureaucracy and is not consistent with our school base accountability plans," O'Connell said. "If you're in competition with one another ... you're not going to be working collaboratively and our entire accountability system is based upon a school site of performance."
In order for merit pay to be permitted statewide, California's constitution would need to be amended. That would require approval by the state Legislature followed by passage by voters on a statewide ballot.

Phil's Observations
Contigent compensation? Paying for results? What a novel idea!

Duh! Who in the hell is surprised by this?

Courtesy of

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's leading Sunni Muslim clerics said Wednesday the country's landmark elections lacked legitimacy because large numbers of Sunnis did not participate in the balloting, which the religious leaders had asked them to boycott.
Emboldened by the elections, which U.S. and Iraqi authorities cited as a victory for democracy, the police chief in Mosul demanded the insurgents hand over weapons within two weeks or he would "wipe out" anyone giving them shelter.
The level of insurgent violence has appeared to drop sharply after the election — similar to a short-duration decline in attacks which occurred after the transfer of sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government in June.
It is unclear whether the drop is due to disillusionment within insurgent ranks, the effects of the stringent pre-election security measures that are being slowly relaxed, or whether the militants have paused to reassess their strategy in light of the ballot.
"The coming days and weeks will show whether this retreat will continue or whether it is tactical because of the strike against them," interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi told Al-Iraqiya television.
"I don't know if what happened is a decrease (in attacks) that will continue or will escalate, but the final outcome is that it is a failure. They will continue for months but this (insurgency) will
With the threat of election violence past, the U.S. Army handed over control Wednesday of several combat outposts to Iraqi security forces on the west side of Mosul, Iraq's third-largest city.
Allawi, meanwhile, hosted a meeting of leaders from 16 of the country's prominent political factions Wednesday, his office said.
The leaders, who included President Ghazi al-Yawer, Sunni elder politician Adnan Pachachi and Finance Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, a Shiite, agreed to pursue the participation of all political, ethnic and religious groups in the new government, the statement said.
Large numbers of majority Shiite Muslims and Kurds participated in Sunday's election for a new National Assembly and regional parliaments. Although no results or turnout figures have been released, U.S. officials say participation appeared much lower in Sunni areas where the insurgency is strongest.
The low turnout has been blamed variously on the clerics' own boycott call and on fears of insurgent reprisals against those who voted.
In its first statement since the balloting, the Association of Muslim Scholars said the vote lacked legitimacy because of low Sunni participation. The association months ago urged Sunnis to shun the polls because of the presence of U.S. and other foreign troops, and insurgents threatened to kill anyone who voted.
Iraqi officials have acknowledged voting problems, including a ballot shortage in Baghdad, Basra and Mosul, which have substantial Sunni populations and which also may have contributed to a low Sunni turnout.
With many Sunnis having stayed away, a ticket endorsed by the Shiite clergy is expected to gain the biggest number of seats in the 275-member National Assembly, followed by the Kurds and a list headed by Allawi, a secular Shiite.
Shiites comprise an estimated 60 percent of Iraq's 26 million people, and Shiite candidates were expected to fare best regardless of Sunni turnout. However, low Sunni participation was believed to have reduced the totals of other tickets.
Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the Shiite Muslim who heads the ticket expected to have won the largest number of parliamentary seats, indicated in a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press that his group wants the post of prime minister in Iraq's new government.
Al-Hakim, a Shiite cleric with close ties to Iran, said representatives of all Iraqi groups should participate in writing the new constitution.
In its statement, the association said the election "lacks legitimacy because a large portion of these people who represent many spectra have boycotted it." As a result, the group said the new leadership lacked a mandate to draft a new constitution and should be considered a temporary administration.
"We make it clear to the United Nations and the international community that they should not get involved in granting this election legitimacy because such a move will open the gates of evil," the statement said.
"We are going to respect the choice of those who voted and we will consider the new government — if all the parties participating in the political process agree on it — as a transitional government with limited powers."
Official voter turnout figures have yet to be released, but a Western diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity Wednesday said turnout appeared to have been "quite low" in Iraq's vast Anbar province, which includes the rebellious cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.
He said that based on anecdotal accounts, turnout in three other provinces with large Sunni Arab populations was slightly higher but not more than 50 percent.
Meanwhile, Carlos Valenzuela, the chief U.N. election expert in Iraq, told the AP that turnout in Sunni Arab areas was higher than expected, with lines forming outside polling centers in insurgency strongholds like Fallujah and Mosul.
Valenzuela cautioned, however, that forecasts for the Sunni areas were so low to begin with that even a higher-than-expected turnout would remain low.
In Mosul, police Gen. Mohammed Ahmed al-Jubouri offered amnesty to insurgents who handed over their weapons within two weeks but promised tough action if they did not. In an interview with the provincial television station, al-Jubouri threatened "to wipe out any village that would hide weapons after the two-week period and shell any safe haven for the insurgents."
Mosul has been tense since insurgents rose up in November in support of rebels under siege in Fallujah, west of Baghdad. The entire 5,000-member police force deserted before U.S. and Iraqi troops regained control.
Meanwhile, insurgents blew up an oil pipeline Wednesday near the central city of Samarra, police said. The pipeline serves domestic power stations in Baghdad and Beiji and does not affect exports.
Four civilians were killed Wednesday in a drive-by shooting in Iskandariyah south of Baghdad, police said. The motive was unclear.
An Iraqi motorist was shot to death on the main desert highway west of Baghdad on Wednesday. A witness claimed U.S. troops opened fire when the vehicle tried to overtake an American military convoy. U.S. vehicles have often been targeted by car bombers who ram convoys.
A U.S. Army spokesman said he had no information on the shooting.
Elsewhere, Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday urged the world body to stop using the country's oil revenue to pay compensation to Kuwaiti victims of the 1991 Gulf War and the salaries of U.N. weapons inspectors.
The payments were mandated under resolutions approved by the U.N. Security Council after a U.S.-led coalition drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991.
"I think it's generally acknowledged that Iraq now does not pose such a threat and does not in its present form have any weapons of mass destruction," Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie said. "And, therefore, to continue to fund a bureaucracy to do what, to just continue to say every day that they have found nothing?"

Do I get to blame Kerry & Kennedy for this?